Bhubaneswar, Sep 22: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two key accused in a cross-border human trafficking case involving a Bangladeshi minor girl. The arrests were made during coordinated raids across five locations in Kolkata and Bangaon, West Bengal.

The accused, identified as Amir Ali Sheikh and Amal Krishna Mondal from North 24 Parganas, were allegedly part of a trafficking network that lured minors from Bangladesh under the pretext of employment and forced them into illegal activities across Indian cities including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Baripada, and Berhampur.

The NIA seized large amounts of Bangladeshi, Indian, and foreign currency, along with incriminating documents and digital devices during the operation.

The case traces back to November last year when Odisha Police rescued a minor Bangladeshi girl from Cuttack’s Madhupatna area. The girl had been trafficked from Gazipur district in Dhaka to Kolkata, and then moved to Odisha with the help of local agents. Her testimony helped uncover the wider network.

Previously, six individuals were arrested in connection with the case, including Rajanikant Behera alias Gopi, Abdullah Seyadul Suleman, Omprakash Choudhury and his wife Jasmin Choudhury, Sasmita Das, and Shivkumar Dora. These arrests were made for their alleged roles in facilitating the girl’s exploitation in Odisha.

Investigations are ongoing to identify further links and collaborators in the network.