Bhubaneswar: Police have busted an inter-state human trafficking racket operating along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border, arresting five alleged labour agents, locally called ‘Sardars,’ who allegedly lured poor and tribal workers — including minors — with promises of jobs before trafficking them to other states for forced labour and exploitation.
Acting on a tip-off, police teams from Nuapada (Odisha) and Mahasamund (Chhattisgarh) districts carried out coordinated raids at around ten locations and arrested the accused, identified as Mukesh Chaturbhuj (40) of Belkathura village in Nuapada district; a woman identified as Lata Sabar alias Nasima Begum (44) of the Kharsia Road area; Manish Gupta (37) of Patharpali village under Komakhan police station in Mahasamund district; Nandkumar Mohta (49) of Barkoti under Paithora police station; and a fifth accused from Lahrod village.
Mahasamund Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar said cash amounting to roughly Rs 1.48 crore, along with several other materials and documents, was recovered from the accused during the operation.
According to police, the syndicate had been active for a considerable period, cheating families from Odisha’s western districts by promising well-paying jobs, then transporting the workers to other states — including reportedly to Andhra Pradesh — where they were subjected to forced labour, denied wages, and, in some cases, sexually exploited.
When families tried to secure the release of their relatives, the agents allegedly demanded further sums of money as ransom.
The racket came to light after a minor girl who had been trafficked was found pregnant, prompting her family to approach the police.
The complaint led investigators to uncover the wider network, resulting in the case being registered and the eventual arrests.
Police said further investigation was underway to trace other members of the gang and identify additional victims of the trafficking network.
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