India's NIA raids Durgapur, arrests businessman over human trafficking

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out a raid at a residence in Durgapur’s New Steel Park area, targeting a suspected human‑trafficking and fake‑passport network that allegedly lured workers to the Middle East and Malaysia. The operation resulted in the arrest of businessman Ghulam Raza, a Bihar‑origin entrepreneur who ran a travel‑agency business that arranged overseas jobs and is accused of supplying forged passports.

Investigators say the racket promised employment abroad to migrants from West Bengal and neighboring states, then used counterfeit documents to enable illegal travel and exploitation, including the trafficking of women. The NIA has taken the suspect into custody for questioning and will present him before an NIA court in Kolkata. The probe follows earlier arrests in Chhattisgarh and a recent decision by the West Bengal cabinet to establish a dedicated NIA police station in the state.