Kingpin of Bangladeshi trafficking network in K'taka arrested in Kolkata

Mangaluru (Karnataka), Jul 14 (PTI) Mangaluru police on Tuesday arrested the kingpin of an interstate human trafficking racket that was allegedly smuggling Bangladeshi nationals into Karnataka, officials said. The arrest was carried out in a joint operation with Kolkata police, they said. Rasul Islam was apprehended in Kolkata and is being brought to Mangaluru on a transit warrant for further interrogation, police said. The breakthrough came after Mangaluru police earlier detained 19 Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in the Urwa police station limits, where they were posing as construction workers, they added. According to police, investigation led to the identification of Islam and two other agents-- Moidin Islam and Dilwar Hussain, who were allegedly facilitating the illegal entry and placement of Bangladeshi immigrants in construction sites across the city. Islam and Hussain were arrested earlier in Mangaluru. With Rasul's arrest, all three main accused in the case are now in custody. Preliminary probe has revealed that the network was bringing labourers from north Indian states to Mangaluru and smuggling Bangladeshi nationals along with them for deployment in various construction works, a senior police officer said. A special team from Mangaluru police had rushed to Kolkata following the arrest to complete legal formalities and bring the accused back, he said. PTI COR AMP SA