Kolkata, July 27 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested a businessman, Ghulam Raza, from his residence at the industrial-cum-steel township of Durgapur in West Burdwan district of West Bengal after conducting a raid and search operation. The main charge against Raza is his involvement in human trafficking, especially of women.Raza, an original resident of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, shifted to Durgapur along with his wife and two sons three years ago and settled there. He purchased a house which is adjacent to the Durgapur Steel Plant area.It is learnt that one of the businesses that he was associated with was that of a travel agency, through which he used to arrange overseas jobs for a large number of migrant workers from the state.However, under the garb of supplying migrant workers to countries, especially to the West Asian countries, he has been accused of involvement with a racket that arranged forged passports for the workers being supplied to these countries.

When a team of six NIA officials, including one woman officer, accompanied by forces from the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, started the raid at Raza’s residence, it was not clear what the reasons were behind the operation.However, after his arrest, the reason behind the NIA operation became clear. It is learnt that Raza himself used to frequent these countries where he sent migrant workers and trafficked young women.Finally, after marathon questioning during the raid and search operation, Raza was arrested, and the NIA sleuths brought him out of his house, covering his face. It is learnt that he is likely to be presented at an NIA court in Kolkata later in the day, and his custody will be sought.He will be interrogated by central agency sleuths to get information about his associates involved with the racket.

Last week, the West Bengal cabinet led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari cleared a proposal to set up an NIA Police Station in Kolkata. The eastern regional headquarters of the central investigative agency is located in Salt Lake in the northern outskirts of Kolkata, and all operations of the agency are currently managed from there.However, following the increase in workload for the NIA due to the increasing number of cases in West Bengal, a proposal has now been adopted by the state cabinet to establish a separate NIA police station in the state.

/IANS