Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Government Railway Police (GRP) has rescued four Myanmarese women, including two minors, and arrested two men from Myanmar in a suspected international human trafficking case. All six individuals were found to be carrying UNHCR refugee cards.
The operation began after the GRP control room in Bhopal received information that a Myanmarese man travelling in the general coach of the 12643 Swarn Jayanti Express was allegedly involved in bringing women from Myanmar refugee communities in Bangladesh into India.
A GRP-Gwalior team led by Inspector-in-Charge Deepshikha Singh Tomar intercepted the suspect and took him off the train for questioning. He was identified as Mubin, 25, a Myanmar national who has been living in Hyderabad with his wife and children for the past four years.
Arrest, Rescue In Aligarh
During interrogation, Mubin allegedly disclosed the involvement of another Myanmarese national, Mohd Hasan, 35. Acting on this information, police raided a rented accommodation in Aligarh, where Hasan was staying with four Myanmarese women. Hasan was arrested, and the four women were rescued, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Two of the rescued women have been identified as Sara and Shukutara. Police said all four were carrying UNHCR cards. The two accused men were also found to be in possession of such cards and were living in Hyderabad as Myanmar refugees.
Investigators initially struggled to question the women, as they did not understand Hindi or English. The GRP first used Google Translate and later arranged for a bilingual interpreter to communicate with them and provide counselling.
According to their preliminary statements, the four women said they had come to India with their parents’ consent. The parents are currently living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. The women described crossing the Bangladesh border through difficult routes involving rivers and mountainous terrain before entering India. They alleged they were being taken to Jammu and Kashmir, where they were to be married.
Probe Widens
Police are now examining whether Mubin and Hasan were involved in similar activities in the past. Their questioning has reportedly indicated that they had previously brought other girls and women from Bangladesh into India, some of whom may also have been Myanmarese refugees, and facilitated their marriages in Jammu and Kashmir.
The GRP has approached the state’s Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) for assistance in arranging a translator who can communicate with the rescued women in their native language. Investigators believe detailed questioning with a qualified interpreter could provide further information about the suspected network.
Information Shared With Central Agencies
Sources said the information gathered so far has also been shared with central intelligence agencies and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), given the international and cross-border dimensions of the case.
Investigators are now trying to identify other individuals allegedly involved in the network, including those who may have facilitated the women’s movement across the Bangladesh border, arranged their travel within India and coordinated their onward movement to Jammu and Kashmir.
Police are also examining whether the women were being trafficked, or were transported through illegal routes, and the precise role of the alleged facilitators in arranging their marriages.
“Our teams identified the suspects and took prompt action, enabling all four young women to be safely rescued. The GRP is fully alert regarding the safety of the rescued women and girls. Strict action against infiltrators, anti-national and other criminal elements will continue,” Special DG-Rail Raja Babu Singh said.