When Thumba police reached Kumar Gardens at Kattela on the night of June 27, they were looking to verify a credible tip-off about foreign nationals allegedly over-staying their Indian Visa. However, by the time the search ended, police had booked two Thai women for allegedly overstaying their visas and arrested two men on allegations that they trafficked and exploited foreign nationals for illegal financial gain.
According to police records, officers received information that three foreign nationals were residing at the rented building in Kuzhivila Ward, Attipra Village, without relevant documents. Believing that waiting for a court-issued search warrant could give those inside an opportunity to flee, the police prepared an advance search memorandum and carried out the raid around 8.30 pm.
The search led them to three Thai women who were occupying the accommodation. Of the three, two of the women, identified as Siriluck (42) and Sukanya Koonsak (29), produced copies of their passports on their mobile phones. Police found that while both passports remained valid, the women’s visas had expired. One in April 2025 and the other in August 2025. Alleging that they had continued to stay in India after the expiry of their visas, the police registered a case under Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
“We received intelligence inputs that three women who had come from Thailand haven’t returned, so they were under surveillance. There were three of them. But the third person had valid documents and hence she was not booked. We sealed the place and hence she had to move out,” said a police source.
The case, however, did not end there. It was during questioning that the seriousness was revealed. The women alleged that they had been trafficked and exploited by Asif and Adheesh Krishnan alias Chippu. They informed the police that the two men had pressured and deceived them—forcing them to stay at the rented house, and used the premises to carry out immoral activities for financial gain.
Based on these allegations, police registered a second case against the two accused under human trafficking for exploitation. The two were arrested and later produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, which remanded them.
“It is mandatory that if foreign nationals are housed at any place, the registration officer needs to be informed about it. It did not happen in the case of any of the three women,” pointed out the police officer.
Police have launched a detailed investigation into the incident. “ We are planning to seek the custody of the accused. In the case of the foreign nationals, their mobile phones and transactions need to be checked,” noted the official.