PANAJI
The Crime Branch sleuths arrested Akram Sheikh, a native of Andhra Pradesh, for alleged links in human trafficking across the country’s border.
Sheikh was held at Chennai International Airport on February 6 while trying to flee India.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Rahul Gupta confirmed that Sheikh was the third accused in the case that saw two arrests in November 2024.
“We issued a Lookout Circular (LOC), and kept a close watch on his movements. Our probe revealed he was running a recruiting agency involving in (fake) recruitment of females from different parts of India,” he said, disclosing the details of the probe.
He was apprehended at Chennai International Airport based on the LOC and brought to Crime Branch where he was placed under arrest. Gupta said the accused confessed he received the victim from Muscat International Airport as per the photograph sent by Masthan Khan (accused No 2) over whatsapp and dropped her to a flat where other 10 ladies from other states were residing. He was keeping a watch on the victim’s activities.
The FIR was registered after a woman, escaped from Muscat where she was taken on the pretext of employment as a housemaid in Muscat but was subjected to sexual exploitation. Two Goa-based agents, Syed Abdullah Sheikh from Vasco and Mastan Khan Pathan from Margao, were earlier arrested.
During questioning, the third accused confessed to facilitating the victim’s travel based on a photograph provided by the agents. Akram is linked to an unregistered recruitment network and identified a Muscat-based agency, run by Humood Sheikh from Oman. The SP said that Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs will be communicated to take action against Humood.
