The Chhattisgarh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in collaboration with Maharashtra ATS, apprehended three suspected Bangladeshi nationals who had been living in Raipur for over five years. This operation led to the arrest of Mohammad Ismail (27), Sheikh Akbar (23), and Sheikh Sajan (22), who attempted to travel from Raipur to Baghdad via Mumbai. The suspects are linked to a human trafficking racket suspected of facilitating illegal travel to Iraq. The three suspects, originally from Nabharan, Jessore district, Khulna, Bangladesh, had been residing in Mission Bada, Taj Nagar, Tikrapara, Raipur. “The suspects are brothers,” confirmed sources in the Chhattisgarh Police Intelligence Wing. The suspects had managed to acquire Indian citizenship documents, including passports, Aadhaar cards, and voter IDs, through fraudulent means.

 

“The documents were procured with the help of a local operator, Mohammad Arif, who was involved in a racket to forge documents for illegal immigration,” said a senior official. The trio had planned to travel to Iraq under the pretext of a religious pilgrimage (Ziyarat) but were intercepted by the ATS in Mumbai. Upon questioning, they revealed their intentions to remain in Iraq indefinitely. “They had obtained Iraqi visas for their journey, and further investigation revealed that they were part of an organized criminal network facilitating such illegal travel,” added the source. The same network had previously facilitated illegal travel to Iraq in 2017. The investigation now extends to Raipur and Nagpur, where links to the network are being explored.