NIA Conducts Nationwide Raids Over Human Trafficking, Detains Myanmar National From Jammu

The NIA conducted raids in eight states and Union Territories in cases pertaining to human trafficking. It detained a Myanmar national in Jammu in during the action.

The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday conducted nationwide raids in cases pertaining to human trafficking, said an NIA spokesperson. The raids were conducted in eight states and two Union Territories including Tripura, Assam, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Haryana, Rajasthan and the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry, according to a PTI report. 

During the raids, the NIA officials arrested those involved in human trafficking and detained a person from Myanmar in Jammu, according to the officials, the report added. 

The Rohingya Muslim was detained during the raid in Jammu and Kashmir, said an official in Jammu. Zaffar Alam was taken into custody from his temporary residence in the Bathindi area of Jammu around 2 am, while another accused is on the run, the official said.

As per the report, the raids were limited to the slums housing Myanmar immigrants and were conducted in connection with a case related to violation of the Passports Act and human trafficking, the official in Jammu said. 

On Tuesday, the federal agency carried out searches  at eight locations in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh in a heroin seizure case, an official said, according to PTI. 

The searches were conducted at the residences and offices of individuals involved in the smuggling of substantial quantities of narcotics, specifically heroin, the report added. The narcotic was  intercepted upon its arrival in India through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Attari, Amritsar, on April 24 last year, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.

The contraband was concealed with a consignment of licorice root (mulethi) originating from overseas suppliers in Afghanistan, the official added. 

The case was initially registered with the customs but last year on July 30, the case was re-registered by NIA with the objective of investigating not only the drug seizure but also the role of multiple companies and individuals involved in the drug racket and the related "proceeds of illegal drug trade".