THE ODISHA Police on Saturday arrested a key accused of an organised racket that harboured illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and engaged them in unlawful activities.
The accused, Sikander Alam alias Seiko, was evading arrest since the raid on Beherampur slum under Jagatsinghpur police limit on November 16.
“A special team was formed by the police which conducted raids at different places. Seiko, who was frequently changing his locations, was apprehended from Jajpur. He will soon be produced before the court,” said a senior police officer in Jagatsinghpur.
Seiko’s passport and several other documents were seized during the raid, said police sources. His younger brother was also arrested earlier in the day from Khurda.
During spot verification, it was clearly ascertained that Seiko, along with others, had been trafficking, harbouring illegal migrants from Bangladesh by providing them shelter and engaging them in unlawful activities. It was also revealed that some women had been trafficked from outside the state and been subjected to exploitation for a considerable period, said the police officer.
The Jagatsinghpur district administration also demolished multiple residential structures built by suspected Bangladesh nationals on government land illegally. Earlier, two people were arrested in this regard.
“Seiko’s 10-room structure built on government land has been demolished by the administration. Seven other thatched structures on government land have also been bulldozed by the administration as part of the crackdown (on undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar),” said Prasanta Kumar Tarai, sub-collector, Jatatsinghpur.
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Officials said they are verifying the routes used by the Bangladeshi infiltrators to enter Odisha. Police said they are probing whether Seiko received foreign funds to run the racket.
During the raids on November 16, the police seized five swords, one countrymade pistol and seven sharp-edged weapons from Seiko’s residential building.
The crackdown comes following the Union Home Ministry’s instructions to all states to intensify the drive against undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has also directed the police and local administrations to take strict legal action against Bangladeshi nationals staying illegally in the state.
