BHOPAL: The rescue of four Myanmarese women, including two minors, and the arrest of two Myanmarese men have led the Madhya Pradesh Government Railway Police (GRP) to uncover a suspected international human trafficking network.
The network is allegedly involved in bringing women and girls from Bangladesh, mainly Myanmarese refugees, into India and facilitating their marriages with men, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.
All six Myanmarese nationals involved in the case—the four women who were rescued and the two men arrested—were found to be carrying cards issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
According to Special Director General of Police (Railways) Raja Babu Singh, the GRP control room in Bhopal recently received specific 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 to India.
Acting on the information, a GRP-Gwalior team led by Inspector-in-Charge Deepshikha Singh Tomar identified the suspect and brought him off the train for questioning.
The man was identified as Mubin (25), a Myanmar national who has been living in Hyderabad with his wife and children for the past four years.
During questioning, Mubin allegedly disclosed the involvement of another Myanmarese national, Mohd Hasan (35). Police suspect that the two men had been facilitating the movement of women from Bangladesh into India and arranging their marriages with men, especially in Jammu and Kashmir.
Based on information provided by Mubin, the GRP learnt that Hasan and four Myanmarese women were staying at a rented accommodation in Aligarh. Police team subsequently raided the premises, arrested Hasan and rescued the four women, two of whom were minors.
Two of the rescued women have been identified as Sara and Shukutara. Police said all four women were carrying UNHCR cards. Mubin and Hasan were also found to be carrying such cards and were living in Hyderabad as Myanmar refugees.
The investigators initially faced difficulties in questioning the women as they did not understand Hindi or English. The GRP first used Google Translate and subsequently sought the assistance of a bilingual interpreter to communicate with them and provide counselling.
During preliminary questioning, the four women reportedly told investigators that they had been brought to India with the consent of their parents, who were living in refugee camps in Bangladesh.
According to the women, they were taken across the Bangladesh border through difficult routes involving rivers and mountainous terrain before entering India. They were allegedly being taken onward to Jammu and Kashmir, where they were to be married.
Police are also examining Mubin and Hasan's alleged involvement 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.
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.