Delhi murder probe unmasks trafficking route of Bangladeshi women via Assam, Meghalaya: Report 

A murder investigation in India's New Delhi has exposed a human trafficking ring that transports young women from Bangladesh into India to force them into prostitution.

Traffickers made a detailed route through Assam and Meghalaya, moving victims from Bangladesh to Baghmara in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, reports The Assam Tribune.

Subsequently, the victims were transferred to Assam, passing through key transit points like Bongaigaon Railway Station via Dudhnoi and Krishna, eventually leading to major cities, including Delhi, as uncovered by the police investigation. 

On 28 December evening, Delhi Police, in collaboration with local authorities, apprehended Animul Islam, a key player in the network and a resident of Krishnai in Assam's Goalpara district.

Animul allegedly used his vehicle to transport victims across the Meghalaya-Assam border, facilitating their movement along the trafficking route.

The presence of such a network came to light during an investigation into the murder of a man in Delhi last October.

Authorities had discovered that four Bangladeshi women connected to the case were victims of trafficking. The deceased, along with an associate named Anis, was reportedly involved in supplying these women to Delhi's sex trade.

According to a 2015 report, Assam accounted for 22% of India's trafficking cases, driven by conflicts and climate-related displacements. 

With 1,317 cases of child trafficking reported that year, Assam represented 38% of the national total.

Moreover, a 2018 report further estimated that approximately 50,000 Bangladesh women and children are trafficked into India annually, many of whom are forced into urban brothels.