ED Attaches ₹1.90 Lakh Worth of Assets in Hyderabad Human Trafficking Racket Involving Bangladeshi Nationals
Hyderabad, Mar 14 (Maxim News): The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, has provisionally attached assets worth ₹1.90 lakh under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with two cases of human trafficking and prostitution rackets operated by Bangladeshi nationals in and around Hyderabad.
Crackdown on Cross-Border Human Trafficking
The ED initiated an investigation based on two FIRs registered by the Telangana Police, later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Hyderabad. Telangana police had earlier raided two brothels on the outskirts of Hyderabad, uncovering an organized prostitution syndicate operated by Bangladeshi nationals. Cases were registered at Chatrinaka and Pahadishareef police stations.
The NIA’s investigation revealed that most of the accused were Bangladeshi nationals who illegally entered India without valid documents. They had forged Indian identity documents and, despite multiple arrests, continued trafficking Bangladeshi women for prostitution.
Trafficking Modus Operandi
- Illegal border crossings: Victims were trafficked through West Bengal’s Indo-Bangladesh border, lured with false promises of jobs in beauty parlors, tailoring shops, factories, and as domestic workers.
- Forced into prostitution: Upon arrival, the women were coerced into flesh trade by organized trafficking rings.
- Criminal convictions: Following the investigation and chargesheets filed by the NIA, a special court awarded life imprisonment to six accused in one of the cases.
Financial Trail and Money Laundering
The ED investigation uncovered a sophisticated money laundering network, where:
- The accused operated multiple brothels across Hyderabad and sent trafficked women to other brothels and agents on a commission basis.
- Using fake identity documents, they opened bank accounts and digital wallets to facilitate their operations.
- They paid ₹4,000–₹5,000 per trafficked woman to agents at the Indo-Bangladesh border, who split the money among traffickers on both sides.
- Payments were made through bank transfers, cash transactions, and mobile payment services to evade detection.
- Funds were systematically broken into smaller transactions to bypass regulatory limits.
- A significant portion of the proceeds of crime was sent to Bangladesh through hawala networks, with funds being withdrawn in cash and transferred via intermediaries, including bKash (Bangladesh’s mobile financial service).
Seized Assets and Key Accused
The attached assets include:
- Funds in Paytm wallets and bank accounts linked to the accused.
- Immovable property belonging to Ruhul Amin Dhazli, identified as one of the key agents in the trafficking network.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities continue to crack down on those involved in human trafficking and money laundering. (Maxim News)
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