NIA ARRESTS 11TH ACCUSED IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING CASE, ABSCONDER SAUDI ZAKIR TRACKED TO KOCHI HIDEOUT
New Delhi, 22nd December 2023: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested the 11th accused in an Human Trafficking case, which the agency had busted last month following nationwide raids.
Absconder Saudi Zakir, who had been on the run since his house was searched last month by the NIA, was on Thursday tracked to his Kochi (Kerala) hideout and taken into custody.
Investigations have revealed that the accused had illegally crossed into India via Benapole at the Indo-Bangladesh border. He had moved to Bellandur area in Bengaluru city of Karnataka, where he had set up a Waste Collection and Segregation Unit and had employed other foreign nationals, who had also illegally crossed over into India through the border.
NIA had registered the a Human Trafficking case (RC-01/2023/NIA/DLI) on 7th November 2023, following credible inputs about certain Karnataka-based persons having linkages with facilitators and traffickers in Assam, Tripura and countries across the border. The linkages were identified as part of a large network engaged in trafficking of individuals into India through the Indo-Bangladesh border. The accused were also providing fake Aadhar cards to the individuals trafficked from across the border, as per investigations.
Ten foreign nationals had been earlier arrested by the NIA in the case, registered under sections 120B, 370, 465 & 471 IPC and section 18 of UA(P) Act, 1967. The NIA is continuing its investigations in the case, aimed at dismantling the human trafficking racket being carried out through various networks active along the Indo-Bangladesh border.
