According to Paradip Lock police, the family was residing in a rented accommodation arranged by a local man whose identity remains undisclosed. Acting on intelligence inputs, authorities conducted a routine verification drive that led to the family’s detention and subsequent questioning.
Initial investigations revealed the group lacked valid identity documents and had crossed borders to escape alleged abuse in Bangladesh. The family’s arrival and settlement efforts have now sparked suspicions of a broader human trafficking or infiltration network operating along Odisha’s coast.
Officials including Kujang Tehsildar and the Sub-Collector visited the site for on-ground assessment. A health screening by a medical team from Atharbanki confirmed all family members, including the children, are in stable condition.
Authorities are now probing whether the unidentified local contact was part of a larger trafficking ring. Concerns are growing over the use of fake identity documents and covert employment of undocumented migrants in fisheries and industrial units across Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” a police official hinted, suggesting that many more such cases may be uncovered during the ongoing verification drive.
The identities of the migrants have been kept confidential to protect the minors. Investigations continue to trace the network that facilitated their illegal entry and planned settlement.
