India arrests trafficking suspect after deportation from Sri Lanka
A suspect wanted in an investigation into the trafficking of Sri Lankan nationals has been arrested at Bengaluru International Airport after Sri Lankan authorities deported him to India. Accounts of a National Investigation Agency statement issued on November 13 identify him as Pudumadam Imran, accused number 15 in the case.
The agency said he had been detained in Sri Lanka following an INTERPOL Red Notice requested by Indian investigators. His return and subsequent arrest form part of cooperation between the two countries' authorities in the long-running case. An arrest and an international notice do not establish guilt; the conduct described in the investigation remains allegations to be tested through legal proceedings.
Canada journey promises at the centre of the allegations
Investigators allege that the suspect helped organise the movement of Sri Lankan citizens to India by promising that onward travel to Canada could be arranged with valid documents. The allegation is that these assurances were false and formed part of a trafficking conspiracy, rather than a lawful migration service.
According to the agency's account, money was collected from the family members and relatives of the people whose journeys were being arranged. Investigators further allege that money was sent through illegal hawala channels to other suspects in India to support the trafficking operation and the confinement of victims.
The published accounts do not give the amounts allegedly collected or transferred, the number of people attributed specifically to this suspect, or a response from him to the allegations. Those gaps should not be filled by treating the wider investigation as proof of his individual responsibility.
Investigation began with Karnataka raids in 2021
The case began after local police raided several premises in Mangalore, Karnataka, in 2021. The raids followed intelligence that Sri Lankan nationals were staying at the locations without valid travel documents. Police then registered a case under the Indian Penal Code, the Foreigners Act and the Passport Act.
The National Investigation Agency took over on July 13, 2021. Its investigation covers allegations of criminal conspiracy, human trafficking and cheating, as well as breaches of immigration and passport laws. The latest airport arrest is therefore a development in an existing case, not the start of a new investigation in November 2026.
Earlier arrests and details still not released
The agency also referred to two other suspects who had evaded arrest. Seeni Aabul Khan was arrested in 2024 and Imran Khan in 2025. Both are facing trial before the Special Court for National Investigation Agency cases in Bengaluru. Their trial status should not be confused with a conviction or with a finding against the newly arrested suspect.
Further details of when the Sri Lankan authorities first took the suspect into custody, and the precise circumstances of that detention, were not disclosed in the agency account. The available information also does not set out his first court appearance following the airport arrest. The accompanying airport photograph is illustrative and does not show Bengaluru airport, the deportation or the arrest.