India signs pact with Bahrain for cooperation on terrorism, organised crime

NEW DELHI: In a significant development, India and Bahrain have signed agreement to provide cooperation in combating international terrorism transnational organized crime and psychotropic substances. The MoU was inked between the two countries during the talks between union home minister Rajnath Singh and his counterpart Lt Gen Sheikh Rashed Bin Abdulla Al-Khalifa at New Delhi on Wednesday.

India also sought assistance from Bahrain on security matters including help to identify investments made by terror groups in Gulf countries. According to figures available with MHA, Bahrain is among the top destinations for Indians when it comes to trafficking. MEA this year has received as many as 806 complaints from Indians employed in Bahrain alleging exploitation and torture by their employers.

Officials also admitted that the investigations into the human trafficking cartels have thrown links between domestic traffickers and international gangs. Therefore it is imperative to have MoU with all the gulf countries. These men and women are taken to these destinations on valid documents with a promise of a job. Once they reach these countries, they are forced into prostitution and slavery," explained an official adding hat New Delhi is also planning to sign a similar MoU with UAE soon.

A report compiled by United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also say that after southeast Asia, south Asia, with India at its Centre, is the fastest-growing region for human trafficking in the world. More than 1.6 lakh people are said to have been trafficked every year. However, the actual figures could be high in the absence of proper investigations.

According to NCRB, the numbers of human trafficking reported in in 2014 were 5,500 as compared to 4000 in 2013. Officials also said that the pact signed with Bahrain aims to strengthen cooperation and information sharing to ensure speedier investigations and prosecutions of traffickers and organised crime syndicates in either country.