NIA Exposes Human Trafficking Nexus

By Renuka 

On 21 September 2025, Aamir Ali Sheikh a foreign exchange, businessman, and Amal
KrishnaMondal a textile trader were arrested fromthe north 24 Pargana district, accused
of bringing a Bangladeshiminor girl into India in the false pretext of employment, but
instead shewas forced into sexual exploitation. The NIA seized Indian, Bangladeshi and
other foreign currencies, along with incriminating documents, during its search operations
officials said these findings point towards a wider network actively engaged in practicing
trafficking girls across the India Bangladesh border.

The larger trafficking, Nexus

The cross-bordermovement fromBangladesh and Nepal have been identified as amajor
source countries for trafficking into India. Poverty, lack of opportunities and poor border
make women andminors especially vulnerable for traffic victims with promises of jobs,
marriages, or education, only to push theminto commercial sexual exploitation. While
labour girls are targeted with false promises victims across the borders or states using
post documents or bribes at checkpoints and arrivals, girls are confined, their documents
seized, and they are slipped into sexwork under the threats and violence . These girls are
often soldmultiple times across cities, ensuring constant profits for traffickers.

Nepal :Another trafficking route
While Bangladesh remain amajor source, Nepal has also emerged as amajor hub for
traffickingminors. Agents recruit impoverished girls fromKathmandu and border region,
such as Biratnagar and Birgunj. Exploiting the open and forest frontier withUttar Pradesh,
Bihar andWest Bengal, traffickers move victims into India,where they are eventually
Sheer into the sex trade in big cities.
Organised crime behind the sex trade
This sex industry thriveswith the involvement ofmiddlemen brothel owners, corrupt
officials, and local gangs.Many prostitution networks operate under the guise of massage,
parlours, dance bars or hotels,making detection and intervention extremely difficult.