NIA arrests Durgapur businessman Ghulam Raza for human trafficking
Synopsis
The NIA has arrested Durgapur-based businessman Ghulam Raza, originally from Bihar, for allegedly running a human trafficking racket disguised as a travel agency — sending migrant workers and women to West Asian countries using forged passports. The arrest follows the West Bengal cabinet's approval of a dedicated NIA police station in Kolkata, signalling a sharp escalation in central agency activity in the state.
Key Takeaways
The NIA arrested Ghulam Raza from Durgapur, West Burdwan on 27 July in a raid-and-search operation.
Raza is accused of human trafficking, particularly of women, to West Asian countries , using a travel agency as cover.
He allegedly arranged forged passports for migrant workers and personally frequented the destination countries.
A team of 6 NIA officials , including one woman officer, conducted the raid with local police support.
Raza was expected to be produced before an NIA court in Kolkata the same day for custody proceedings.
The West Bengal cabinet last week approved a dedicated NIA police station in Kolkata amid rising caseloads.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday, 27 July arrested Ghulam Raza, a businessman residing in the industrial township of Durgapur in West Burdwan district, West Bengal, following a raid and search operation at his home. Raza faces charges of human trafficking, with investigators alleging he exploited a travel agency front to traffic women and migrant workers, primarily to West Asian countries.
Who Is Ghulam Raza
Originally from Muzaffarpur in Bihar, Raza relocated to Durgapur with his wife and two sons approximately three years ago, settling in a house adjacent to the Durgapur Steel Plant area. He was associated with a travel agency business that reportedly arranged overseas employment for a large number of migrant workers from West Bengal.
According to investigators, Raza allegedly used this travel agency as a cover to facilitate the trafficking of young women and to arrange forged passports for workers being sent abroad. He is also said to have personally visited the countries to which he dispatched migrant workers.
How the Arrest Unfolded
A team of six NIA officials, including one woman officer, accompanied by personnel from the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, conducted the raid at Raza's residence. The reasons behind the operation were not immediately apparent to those present, but became clear only after his arrest following marathon questioning during the search.
Raza was brought out of his residence with his face covered. According to reports, he was expected to be produced before an NIA court in Kolkata later the same day, with the agency set to seek his custody for further interrogation to identify associates involved in the trafficking racket.
West Bengal's Growing NIA Caseload
The arrest comes days after the West Bengal cabinet, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, cleared a proposal to establish a dedicated NIA police station in Kolkata. Currently, all NIA operations in the region are managed from the agency's eastern regional headquarters in Salt Lake, on the northern outskirts of Kolkata.
The cabinet's decision reflects a significant rise in the number of NIA cases being investigated in West Bengal, prompting the need for a dedicated operational base within the state. This latest arrest is likely to add further weight to that caseload.
What Happens Next
Investigators are expected to interrogate Raza extensively to map his network of associates and trace the full scale of the alleged trafficking operation. The use of forged travel documents and the cross-border nature of the alleged crimes means the case could draw in multiple central agencies. The establishment of a dedicated NIA police station in Kolkata, once operationalised, would provide a more streamlined base for such investigations going forward.
Point of View
Migrant job promises, and forged documents — a combination that exploits both economic desperation and weak document-verification systems at departure points. What stands out is the NIA's direct involvement rather than state police, suggesting the racket's cross-border dimension is considered significant enough to warrant central jurisdiction. The timing also matters: with the West Bengal cabinet just having cleared a dedicated NIA station in Kolkata, the state government appears to be signalling cooperation with central agencies — a notable shift in a state where Centre-state friction on law enforcement has historically been sharp. Whether Raza's interrogation yields a larger network, or whether the case remains a single-node arrest, will be the real measure of this operation's impact.
NationPress
27 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ghulam Raza and why was he arrested by the NIA?
Ghulam Raza is a businessman from Durgapur in West Bengal, originally from Muzaffarpur in Bihar, arrested by the NIA on 27 July on charges of human trafficking. He allegedly ran a travel agency that served as a front to traffic women and send migrant workers to West Asian countries using forged passports.
Where was Ghulam Raza arrested and how did the operation unfold?
Raza was arrested from his residence in Durgapur, adjacent to the Durgapur Steel Plant area in West Burdwan district. A six-member NIA team, including one woman officer, conducted the raid alongside Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate personnel, following marathon questioning before making the arrest.
What charges does Ghulam Raza face?
Raza faces charges primarily related to human trafficking, especially of women, to West Asian countries. He is also accused of arranging forged passports for migrant workers sent abroad through his travel agency.
What is the significance of the West Bengal cabinet approving an NIA police station in Kolkata?
The approval, cleared last week by the cabinet led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, reflects a sharp rise in NIA cases in West Bengal. Currently, all operations are run from the agency's eastern regional headquarters in Salt Lake, Kolkata; a dedicated NIA police station would streamline investigations within the state.
What happens next in the Ghulam Raza case?
Raza was expected to be produced before an NIA court in Kolkata on the day of his arrest, with the agency seeking his custody. He is set to be interrogated to identify associates and map the full extent of the alleged trafficking network.
