NIA launches manhunt for Abdul Barik who is kingpin of sex-trafficking racket

The NIA has pronounced an award of one lakh rupees to anyone who can share details about Abdul Barik Shaikh and his accomplice- the seventh member of the gang-Sharipul Sheikh, who lived in Maharashtra's Thane.

Hyderabad: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is on the lookout for Abdul Barik Shaikh, a Bangladeshi national, accused of illegally importing Bangladeshi women into India under the guise of providing jobs. He is believed to be the mastermind of the gang with seven more involved in the same racket. The NIA has pronounced an award of one lakh rupees to anyone who can share details about Abdul Barik Shaikh and his accomplice- the seventh member of the gang-Sharipul Sheikh, who lived in Maharashtra's Thane.

They cross the border through the 24 Parganas district of the state of West Bengal. The gang is active in metro cities including Hyderabad. The gang was first caught by the Rachakonda police in September 2019. Around 12 people have already been charged in the case, out of which nine are of Bangladeshi origin. The case is handled by NIA as it involves cross-border criminals.

Based on the investigation carried out by NIA, Abdul Barik Sheikh of Bakra village of Jessore district of Bangladesh and Ruhul Amin Dali of West Bengal are the mastermind behind this plan. Asad Hasan, Shariful Sheikh, Mohammad Yusuf Khan, Bittibegum, Mohammad Al Mamoon, Sojib Sheikh, Suresh Kumar Das, Mohammad Abdullah Munshi, and Mohammad Rana Hussain are active members of the gang. Barring Abdul and Sharipul, all the others have been caught by NIA in the past.

It is alleged that the gang is involved in sex trafficking and lures young girls (19 to 25-year-olds) of employment opportunities in India, and forces them into prostitution. The NIA has recovered fake certificates from the victims. It was also found that commissions were transferred to the bank accounts f Dolly and Abdul through international gangs.