NIA arrests Sri Lankan trafficking case suspect

India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a wanted suspect in a human trafficking case involving Sri Lankan nationals after he was repatriated from Sri Lanka, where he had been detained under an INTERPOL Red Notice.

The suspect, identified as Pudumadam Imran, was arrested at Bengaluru International Airport following his deportation from Sri Lanka, the NIA said in a statement issued on Friday (13).

Imran, listed as accused No. 15 in the case, had been evading arrest and was wanted over an alleged human trafficking network that targeted Sri Lankan nationals, the agency said.

According to the NIA, Imran was involved in a conspiracy to traffic Sri Lankan nationals to India by falsely promising to arrange their travel to Canada using valid travel documents.

He allegedly collected money from the victims’ relatives in return for arranging their journeys and transferred funds through illegal hawala channels to other suspects in India to facilitate the trafficking and confinement of the victims, the agency said.

The investigation began in 2021 after police raided several premises in Mangaluru, Karnataka, following information about Sri Lankan nationals staying there without valid travel documents.

A case was subsequently registered under the Indian Penal Code, Foreigners Act and Passport Act.

The NIA took over the investigation on July 13, 2021, and registered a case involving alleged criminal conspiracy, human trafficking, cheating and violations of immigration and passport laws.

The agency said two other suspects who had evaded arrest, Seeni Aabul Khan and Imran Khan, were arrested in 2024 and 2025, respectively. They are currently facing trial before the Special Court for NIA Cases in Bengaluru.

The latest arrest followed cooperation between Indian and Sri Lankan authorities after the NIA sought an INTERPOL Red Notice against Imran.

The NIA has not disclosed details of the circumstances of his detention in Sri Lanka or when he was taken into custody by Sri Lankan authorities.