CBI has registered four fresh cases in connection with an international human trafficking racket being run in Kerala after it probe agency took over the probe from the state police.
The agency has booked a number of police officials and others in connection with the racket in which women from the state were being trafficked to locations in Sharjah, Muscat and Dubai.
"The first case has been registered against eight persons, including a civil police officer and a police sub-inspector. It was alleged that the accused fraudulently obtained passport in the name of a woman and later forged it to go to Muscat with the connivance of a sub-inspector of immigration wing, Nedumbassery, Kochi international airport, who was the officer on duty at the counter.
"The alleged human trafficking through Kochi airport to Gulf countries involves involvement of various immigration officers, travel agents and private persons," a CBI spokesperson said here.
The second case has been registered against seven persons, including a CPO and a police sub-inspector; and the third case has been registered against five private persons.
"The accused entered into criminal conspiracy and offered poor women job in foreign countries with monthly salary of Rs 20,000-25,000. They took them through illegal means from Nedumbassery and Trivandrum to Muscat and Sharjah and further to Dubai and Ajman...The victims were subjected to physical torture and sexual assault," the spokesperson said.
The fourth case has been registered against five accused, including two CPOs and a sub-inspector.
"The then CPO Nedumbassery police station allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy and used a copy of the passport of the complainant without his knowledge and obtained a mobile connection and used it for illegal activities at the airport.
"Further, he opened a bank account in the name of his father and received bribe in the above account from various travel agents for facilitating human trafficking from Kochi airport to Gulf countries," the spokesperson said.
