NIA arrests key accused in network smuggling Bangladeshis, Rohingyas across northeast borders

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on May 28 apprehended Jalil Miah, a central figure in a sprawling racket involving the smuggling of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas across the porous northeast borders.

The arrest of Miah, a resident of Tripura, follows a series of raids carried out by the NIA team at his hideout, marking yet another success in the agency's relentless efforts to dismantle the nefarious network.

Miah, on the run since November 2023, was among ten people for whom the NIA had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to their capture in February this year. His arrest comes after the agency had already apprehended 33 people in connection with the case (RC-01/2023/NIA-GUW), initially registered by the Assam Special Task Force (STF) in March 2023 under various sections of the Indian. Penal Code and Passport Act 1967.

Investigations revealed that Miah was a central figure in the racket, closely associated with accused Jiban Rudra Pal alias Jibon alias Suman and two other absconders, Juj Miah and Shanto, all from Tripura.

“Electronic devices and compromising documents seized from Jalil Miah's home highlighted his complicity in this affair,” the NIA said, adding that the manhunt for the other fugitives continues.

The NIA crackdown has exposed a vast network of human traffickers who facilitate the illegal entry of a significant number of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya into India every month. These individuals are then transported to different regions of the country and provided with false documents, often subjected to forced labor.

The agency's investigations uncovered a range of digital evidence, including foreign currencies, Aadhaar cards and PAN cards, highlighting the complex network of the trafficking syndicate.