As many as 17 Bangladeshi women allegedly living illegally in different localities of the Sola area in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, were detained by the police on Thursday.
According to reports, the Bangladeshi women had been residing in rented houses under false identities. A senior police official said they claimed to be working as domestic help and labourers to earn a living.
PTI quoted Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) ‘B’ Division, HM Kansagara, saying, “These women claimed they used to earn their livelihood by working as maids or labourers, the possibility that they were involved in a flesh trade racket cannot be ruled out.”
A preliminary probe indicated that the Bangladeshi nationals had crossed the border with the help of agents and settled in various rented accommodations within the Sola police station limits, the official said.
“Based on a specific tip-off, the Sola police raided four to five premises and detained 17 Bangladeshi women living illegally in rented houses. We found documents and identity cards which established their citizenship. These women were in the age-group of 21 to 49 and belonged to different parts of Bangladesh,” Kansagara said.
The ACP further stated that while some of the women had arrived in Ahmedabad two weeks ago, others had been residing in the city — the commercial hub of Gujarat — for up to four years.
After detention, all of them were taken to the Joint Interrogation Centre for further questioning by the police and other agencies.
“These women claimed they used to work as maids or labourers. But, we can not rule out the possibility of their involvement in prostitution. Police will also investigate if they were involved in any other illegal activity during their stay,” Kansagara said.
He added that if any of the women were found engaged in anti-national activities, legal action would be taken against them. If cleared of wrongdoing, they would be deported to Bangladesh.
“These women used to stay in touch with each other or their family members through a social media app. Five house owners, who had given their homes on rent to these women without informing the local police station, were also booked for disobeying tenant verification order of police,” the officer added.
Earlier last month, police arrested 22-year-old madrasa teacher Soyav Khan for running an international sextortion racket with cross-border links to Bangladesh.
The arrest took place in the Dholagarh Devi area of Alwar under Operation Cyber Sangram, and the case has sent shockwaves across the state.
According to police investigations, Khan employed a chilling modus operandi to trap his victims. He would first gain their trust through friendly video calls, slowly pushing them into obscene conversations and acts.
These interactions were secretly recorded, and later, victims were blackmailed with threats of making the videos public. In exchange for silence, Khan extorted hefty sums from them.
The police recovered numerous obscene chats, explicit videos, and financial transaction details from his mobile phone, many of which were linked to foreign numbers, including Bangladesh, highlighting the international reach of this crime network.
