The police official involved in the human trafficking case through the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), Nedumbassery surrendered before the Organised Crime Wing of the Crime Branch on Tuesday.
The accused was produced before the Aluva Chief Judicial Magistrate and was remanded in Crime Branch custody till January 24.
According to the Crime Branch officials, Ajeeb, 38, Edayapuram House, Panipra, Kottapadi, Kothamanaglam, was a civil police officer with the Nedumbassery Police station. Ajeeb, while serving at CIAL from 2007 to 2011, had helped various travel agents for sending people abroad without proper documents.
The Crime Branch suspect that more than 150 people had travelled to other countries with the assistance of Ajeeb and his gang. It was in December 2012, during an inquiry conducted by Assistant Commissioner Somarajan, that Ajeeb’s involvement in the transportation came to light. Since then he has been at large.
Last week, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court had dismissed the anticipatory bail petition of Ajeeb and a few days later, the investigation of the case was handed over to the Crime Branch from the local police which conducted the preliminary investigation.
The Crime Branch had raided several places where Ajeeb was suspected to be hiding. The constant raids led by Crime Branch DySP P M Varghese and Detective Inspector Biju Kumar forced the accused to surrender.
The Crime Branch officials suspect the involvement of other police officials who were part of the CIAL Immigration Wing in the case. During the interrogation, Ajeeb submitted that he received a sum of `60 lakh from six travel agents in the state for assisting people to reach foreign countries without the proper documents. The deals were struck with the travel agents using duplicate SIM numbers received after submitting the photocopy of passports of people passing through the airport. The local police had received around six duplicate numbers used by Ajeeb.
The CB will investigate whether Ajeeb had assisted people involved with the terror groups and sex trafficking mafias.