2 Rohingyas held, girl rescued from trafficking net
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 08 2018:
Tengnoupal district police have arrested two Rohingyas from the border town of Moreh along with a 20 year old girl allegedly brought by them with a plan to push her into prostitution.
Speaking to media persons here today, Tengnoupal SP Dr S Ibomcha said that the three individuals were arrested in the course of a search operation carried out at Moreh Ward No 5 (Muslim Basti) at around 8.30 pm yesterday.
Altogether five individuals were pulled up from a rented house belonging to one Maulana Ahmed Hussain.
After spot verification, two were let free as they had cards issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The other three arrested by police have been identified as Md Safiullah (34) s/o Kashim Abdul, Md Salam (25) s/o Mujafar Ali and Noor (name changed and aged 20) .
All of them hail from Rakhine State of Myanmar, Dr Ibomcha said.
Safiullah was in possession of a card issued by UNHCR and an Aadhaar card but Salam did not possess any document.
Nonetheless, both of them have been arrested on the charge of human trafficking, said the SP.
It is suspected that they brought Noor to Manipur (India) with a plan to push her into prostitution.
Noor too did not have any valid identification document.
From the disclosures of Safiullah and Salam, it has been learnt that one Md Ismail s/o Makakmayum Waheed Ali of Mayang Imphal Bengoon Maning Leikai, Imphal West district is involved in trafficking Rohingya women to different countries including India.
Even as house owner Mualana Ahmed Hussain and Md Ismail have gone into hiding, a case has been registered at Moreh police station and due investigation has been started, Dr Ibomcha said.
Even though the route taken by the three arrested individuals is not known yet, the other three Rohingyas arrested by Tengnoupal police in March reached Moreh from Bangladesh after passing through Tripura, Jiribam, Imphal and Lilong, he said.
Since the exodus of Rohingyas from Rakhine State, six individuals have been arrested while police have come across 10 individuals at Moreh who hold cards issued by UNHCR, said the SP adding that Tengnoupal Police have been keeping a strict vigil to foil all infiltration bids.