The National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India has filed a supplementary chargesheet against four individuals in connection with a 2021 case involving the human trafficking of 39 Sri Lankan nationals into India under the false pretext of transporting them to Canada.
Recently apprehended, Mohamed Imran Khan, also known as Imran, has been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to trafficking, confinement, and conspiracy. The charges also include absconding suspects Seeni Aabul Khan, Mohamed Ibrahim, alias Ahmed, and Pudumadam Imran, alias Hajiyar, also known as Imrankhan. The charges were presented before the NIA Special Court in Bengaluru.
The accused are allegedly implicated in the trafficking of 39 Sri Lankan nationals to Mangaluru via Tamil Nadu, falsely promising them that they were en route to Canada. The victims were reportedly confined in various lodges across Mangaluru and initially apprehended by the Karnataka Police as accomplices alongside the accused individuals, according to a press release from the NIA.
Initiating investigations on July 13, 2021, after assuming control of the case, the NIA identified the 39 individuals as victims of a human trafficking racket. The agency filed the original chargesheet on October 5, 2021, against six accused individuals involved in the trafficking. The victims were subsequently freed and repatriated, as stated by the NIA.
The NIA’s investigation revealed that Mohammed Imran Khan, in collaboration with Pudhumadam Imran and associates Seeni Aabul Khan and Mohamed Ibrahim, intercepted the Sri Lankan nationals at sea, transporting them to Bengaluru and subsequently to Mangaluru. Further inquiries disclosed that the initial conspiracy was masterminded by Pudumadam Imran and an absconding accused named Eesan, a Sri Lankan national.
The accused reportedly extracted substantial sums of money from the victims and their families. The NIA affirmed that efforts to apprehend the remaining accused persons are ongoing. – Source: The Hindu
