ED attaches Rs 1.90 lakh worth assets in Hyderabad human trafficking racket involving Bangladeshi nationals

The ED launched its investigation based on two FIRs initially registered by the Telangana Police and later re-registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Hyderabad. The Telangana Police had carried out raids at two brothels on the outskirts of Hyderabad, uncovering a well-organized prostitution and human trafficking syndicate run by Bangladeshi nationals, which led to the filing of FIRs at Chatrinaka and Pahadishareef police stations.

Hyderabad: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office has provisionally attached assets worth Rs 1.90 Lakh (approx.) under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in connection with two cases of immoral trafficking rackets operated by Bangladeshi nationals in and around Hyderabad.

ED initiated investigation on the basis of two FIRs registered by the Telangana Police and subsequently re-registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Hyderabad. Telangana police had conducted raids at two brothels on the outskirts of Hyderabad and busted an organized syndicate of prostitution and immoral trafficking, operated by Bangladeshi nationals, leading to registration of FIRs at PS. Chatrinaka and PS. Pahadishareef.

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Investigation by the NIA, Hyderabad revealed that most of the arrested accused were Bangladeshi nationals who had illegally entered India without valid travel documents. They had obtained fake/forged Indian identity documents and despite arrests in other FIRs, continued to engage in prostitution and illegal trafficking of Bangladeshi girls. The victim girls were trafficked into India with the help of various agents active on the indo-Bangladesh border, through illegal border crossings in West Bengal, on the false pretext of better paying jobs in beauty parlours, tailor shops, steel factories, housemaids, etc. and later forced into flesh trade. Consequent to the investigation and chargesheet filed by the predicate agency, the NIA Special Court has awarded life imprisonment to all six accused in one of the FIRs.

ED investigation revealed that the accused persons were running brothels at various places in and around Hyderabad and were also sending the victim girls to other brothels and agents, on commission basis. Using fake/forged Indian identity documents, the accused persons opened several bank accounts and online wallets for their illegal activities. For trafficking the Bangladeshi girls and others, the accused persons were paying around Rs. 4-5 thousand per person to agents/middlemen abutting the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, which was shared between various parties involved in the trafficking on either side of the border.

ED investigation revealed that payments for the trafficking of the Bangladeshi girls were made through banking channels and also in cash to the agents. To conceal the money trail, the accused persons used money transfer services of various financial intermediaries, sharing only their mobile numbers for the remittance. To evade detection, the transactions were systematically structured into small payments below regulatory threshold limits.

Substantial part of the Proceeds of Crime (POC) were found to be remitted to multiple persons abutting the Bangladesh border in West Bengal, who withdrew the money in cash and handed it to other hawala agents who ensured the remittance of the to the families of the accused and the victim girls in Bangladesh, at times also using bKash (the mobile financial service of Bangladesh Bank).

The assets attached by ED are in the form of balance amounts in Paytm wallets and bank accounts as well as immovable property of one of the accused namely Ruhul Amin Dhali, who was revealed to be one of the most prominent agents involved in the illegal trafficking of Bangladeshi girls into India.

Further investigation is under progress.