Myanmar national arrested by NIA from UP in alleged Rohingya trafficking case

The NIA on Wednesday arrested a Myanmar national from Deoband in Uttar Pradesh in connection with a case registered for investigation into alleged trafficking of Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals into India with fake Indian documents.

A statement issued by the NIA said the accused, Mazid Ullah, a resident of Sabila Fakira village in Myanmar's Arakan state was arrested during a search at Deoband area in UP's Saharanpur district.

"During investigation, involvement of arrested accused Mazid Ullah in the conspiracy of transportation of trafficked persons to different places in India, had emerged. During the search conducted today digital devices such as mobile hand set, SIM cards, memory card and other incriminating documents have been seized," said the statement.

The case was re-registered in NIA's Guwahati office in December last year after the arrest of several Rohingya refugees in Assam and Tripura. On June 4, the NIA submitted charge sheets against six persons. Five hail from South Assam's Cachar district and one from neighbouring Meghalaya.

The NIA had earlier said the "prime accused" Kumkum Ahmed Choudhury was operating the human trafficking network from Bengaluru. The five others named in the charge sheets are Ahiya Ahmed Choudhury, Bapan Ahmed Choudhury, Sahalam Laskar, Jamaluddin (all from Cachar) and Wanbiang Suting of East Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya.

Both Assam and Meghalaya share a border with Bangladesh, where thousands of Rohingya refugees are taking shelter since the ethnic clash in neighbouring Myanmar.

The NIA is investigating the alleged trafficking of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis into India for the purpose of exploitation and in order to settle them in India permanently with fake Indian documents.