CHENNAI, Oct 22 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths nabbed the kingpin of a human trafficking racket involved in an attempt to send 61 Sri Lankan nationals abroad illegally after bringing them to India in 2021.

An NIA official here said that the agency's Absconder Tracking Team (ATT) arrested Khan, 39, from an undisclosed location of Tamil Nadu's Theni district.

"He, along with a Sri Lankan national named Eesan, formerly associated with the LTTE, devised a plan to illegally transport 61 Sri Lankan nationals from the island nation to various locations in Tamil Nadu. They lured these individuals with false promises, including the prospect of obtaining legitimate documentation for emigration to Canada and securing employment," said the NIA.

NIA registered a case in 2021 after the Tamil Nadu Police's Q branch secured 23 Sri Lankan nationals and four agents in Madurai, which led to the detention of another 38 Sri Lankan nationals in Mangaluru.