Kochi city police are intensively investigating the alleged case of human trafficking
The Kochi city police have intensified their investigation into an alleged human trafficking case in which seven people from four states were found trapped in a rented building at Cheranalloor here on Friday (June 12, 2026).
Police sources said they have already identified several people behind the racket, apart from Abdul Rahim, a native of Siliguri in West Bengal, who was arrested on Saturday (June 13, 2026).
Investigators found that Rahim was a key operative involved in what they believe was a larger human trafficking ring. The building in Cheranalloor where the victims were lodged after allegedly extorting large sums of money from them on the promise of facilitating their migration to Canada was rented by Rahim, police sources said.
However, the police faced a problem in identifying the members of the racket as they allegedly gave false information to the victims, the officer said. “We are verifying the details provided by the victims,” he said. The Cheranalloor police is investigating the case.
Police said the eight victims were brought to Kochi from Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka after it was believed they would be taken to Canada later. The victims were brought on different days this month, sources said.
However, the victims realized they had been scammed after they were allegedly forced to film videos while standing in front of life-size flexible boards depicting places in Canada that had been installed in the building. They were reportedly forced to send videos to their families to convince their relatives that they had reached their destination. They were trapped in the building and were allegedly attacked by the group when they confronted the agents. The alleged crime came to light after one of the victims managed to escape.
Police have not released details about the victims. “Their identities will be protected and their safe return ensured,” the officer said.
Published – 13 Jun 2026 22:11 IST