CHENNAI: A 23-year-old man from Tripura was arrested by the city police for allegedly forcing his Bangladeshi girlfriend into sex work after housing her in an apartment in Velachery on the pretext of helping her get employment. The woman was also arrested under the Foreigners Act for entering India using forged documents.

Police suspect the woman to have crossed borders during the recent civil unrest in Bangladesh. Investigations revealed that the woman's boyfriend, Yeachin Miah of Mainama village in Tripura, had helped arrange the forged documents for her.

After staying in Tripura for about ten days, Yeachin Miah and his girlfriend travelled to Chennai. With the help of his friends, he found accommodation at the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) colony in Velachery.

The woman was unaware of her boyfriend's plans and initially succumbed to pressure. Two days ago, she escaped from the house after quarrelling with him and approached the Velachery Police station. A police sub-inspector posed as a customer, approached Yeachin and apprehended him when he sought money. Police have also launched a search for Miah's associates, identified as Kapil and Rumki, who are also part of the prostitution racket.

Meanwhile, enquiries confirmed that the woman entered the country illegally, after which Velachery police arrested her under the Foreigners Act. Both of them were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.