The Odisha Police have caught a key person involved in an illegal racket that sheltered Bangladeshi immigrants and used them in unlawful activities. Sikander Alam, known as Seiko, had been avoiding arrest since a police raid on 16th November at a slum in Jagatsinghpur. Police formed a special team that searched various places before arresting him in Jajpur. Seiko will soon be brought to court, a senior police officer said.
During the raid, police seized Seiko’s passport and documents, and his younger brother was also arrested in Khurda. Police found that Seiko and others had been trafficking and hiding illegal migrants from Bangladesh, sheltering them, and involving them in illegal work. They also discovered that some women had been brought from outside the state and exploited for a long time.
The district administration in Jagatsinghpur responded by demolishing several houses built illegally by suspected Bangladeshi nationals on government land. Seiko’s 10-room building, constructed on government land, was destroyed along with seven other thatched houses. Earlier, two people were arrested in connection with this case.
Officials are investigating how these immigrants entered Odisha and whether Seiko received foreign funds to support the racket. In the November 16 raids, police found five swords, a country-made pistol, and seven sharp weapons from Seiko’s home.
This operation is part of a larger crackdown following instructions from the Union Home Ministry, which directed all states to increase action against undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar. Odisha’s Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has also ordered strict measures against Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in the state.