Surat Police arrest 7 Bangladeshi intruders, bust infiltration network

Surat, Sep 14 (IANS) Surat Police have arrested seven Bangladeshi intruders and dismantled a network facilitating illegal border crossings into India.

The operation led to the arrest of the prime agent responsible for orchestrating the entry of three women and four men, among others, into India, charging them a hefty sum of Rs 90,000 per person, police said on Thursday.

The arrests were made on Wednesday. 

Officials shared that the law enforcement authorities have seized counterfeit identity documents in connection with the case.

The main accused primarily employed this nefarious network to bring Bangladeshi women into India for prostitution, while also facilitating the entry of men seeking economic opportunities.

Police are currently on the hunt for one more suspect linked to the case, who hails from Ahmedabad and was involved in the production of illicit documents for Bangladeshi nationals.

The Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Surat Police received intelligence indicating that individuals were being illegally transported from Bangladesh into India, with some of them residing in the Palsana area of Surat.

Acting swiftly on this information, police apprehended three women and two men. Subsequent interrogations of these individuals led law enforcement to the key agent responsible for orchestrating these illegal infiltrations, identified as Ibrahim Raj Tobimar Sheikh.

Authorities arrested Sheikh in the Udhna area, specifically Choksi apartment. He had been responsible for arranging the unlawful border crossings through the Satkhira area in West Bengal.

During questioning, Ibrahim, also known as Raj, revealed his involvement in the trafficking of Bangladeshi women into India for purposes of prostitution. He hails from the Peroli village in Bangladesh and used to identify economically disadvantaged individuals and facilitate their entry into India.

Another accused in the case, Shahid Khan Mustufa Khan, based in Ahmedabad's Nobalnagar area, played a crucial role in producing fraudulent identification documents for the intruders, falsely portraying them as Indian citizens.

However, Shahid Khan Mustufa Khan managed to evade arrest by Surat Police and is currently on the run, with authorities declaring him a wanted fugitive in connection with this case.