Shillong: In a major crackdown on human trafficking, Ri Bhoi District Police arrested twelve Bangladeshi nationals attempting to illegally enter India through a well-organized smuggling network on Wednesday, March 26. The arrests followed a carefully coordinated operation at Byrnihat, where law enforcement intercepted a Tata Sumo vehicle carrying eleven individuals, including two children.
According to police officials, the group was traveling with forged identity documents, including counterfeit Aadhaar and PAN cards. Their intended destination was Dawki, a border town notorious for frequent illegal crossings. The operation was initiated following intelligence inputs that tracked the movements of a key trafficking operative, Sukur Janab Shaikh, from Mumbai to Guwahati.
Although Shaikh initially evaded capture during police searches at Kamakhya and Guwahati railway stations, investigators pursued fresh leads and successfully apprehended him later the same day in Nalbari District. His arrest is considered a significant breakthrough in dismantling the trafficking network.
The nine adults arrested alongside Shaikh have been identified as Kakali Sardar, Hirina Dili Mulla, Unjilla Sadar, Rabia Begum, Panna Kamal Hussain, Poppy Hasu Mollah, Sonia Shaikh, Sobha Islam, and Saja Uddin Sk. Authorities believe the group was being transported to Dawki as part of a broader trafficking operation involving illegal cross-border movements.
A case has been registered at Nongpoh police station, and investigations are ongoing to uncover further links and identify other operatives involved in the trafficking network. Law enforcement officials have reiterated their commitment to curbing human trafficking and strengthening border surveillance.
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