An evading suspect in the Sri Lankan human trafficking case has been captured, according to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the agency announced on Sunday. The 39-year-old suspect, Mohamed Imran Khan, alias Haja Najerbheeden, was captured by the NIA’s Absconder Tracking Team (ATT) from an undisclosed location in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district. Since June 2021, Imran Khan had been evading capture. Imran Khan was apprehended from his undisclosed location in Theni thanks to the ATT of the NIA’s Bengaluru branch’s surveillance of his movements over the previous few months, according to the NIA.
During preliminary investigations, the NIA said accused Imran Khan, a resident of Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, was revealed as a notorious smuggler with a long-standing history of illegal activities in the region.
As per the anti-terror agency, the accused was a fugitive wanted by multiple law enforcement agencies for his involvement in various illicit operations.
The instant case originated when the Mangalore South Police acted on credible intelligence, revealing that a group of Sri Lankan nationals had arrived and taken residence in Mangalore without possessing valid documents. This operation led to the arrest of 38 Sri Lankan nationals on June 6, 2021, in Mangalore.
“Investigations revealed that Sri Lankan nationals were brought to Mangalore from Sri Lanka via Tamil Nadu and Bengaluru,” the NIA said.
Recognising the international dimensions of the case, the NIA intervened and re-registered the case in 2021.