The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police has arrested seven members of an organized human trafficking and visa fraud ring on charges of sending a woman to Italy instead of the real passport holder. A case has been registered at Gulshan Police Station under the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Act.
During this time, 56 passports, 153 different types of seals, one embossed seal, three CPUs, one laptop, and 2.5 lakh taka in cash were seized from them.
The arrested persons are Belayet Hossain (40), Mehedi Hasan (37), Solaiman Sumon (32), Fazle Rabbi (27), Touhidur Rahman (24) and Kawsar Hossain (42).
They were arrested in a raid in the capital’s Gulshan-1 area on Monday.
CID Special Police Superintendent Jasim Uddin Khan confirmed this information on Tuesday (July 21).
He said that yesterday, a smart team of the CID’s Human Trafficking Branch (THB) conducted a raid in the Gulshan-1 area of ​​the capital’s Gulshan police station based on immediate intelligence information and arrested them. A case has been filed with Gulshan police station in this regard.
In the operation conducted by the CID’s Human Trafficking Branch (THB), three CPUs, an HP laptop, 56 passports in the names of various individuals, 153 seals used in the names of various government, private and foreign individuals and organizations, an embossed seal made of iron, and Tk 250,000 in cash were seized from the arrested persons’ offices.
The case file reveals that the husband of the victim plaintiff has been living in Italy for a long time.
The plaintiff had been trying to obtain a visa for a long time, hoping to travel to Italy with her husband and four children. At one point, she submitted the necessary documents and passport to the Italian embassy. After a long period of time, when her passport expired, the Italian embassy called her and informed her about the passport renewal.
When she went to the embassy to collect her passport, she met Nazmul Hasan, the second accused in the case. Nazmul introduced himself as someone who could renew her passport and get her a visa to Italy, and assured her that he would renew her passport within 24 hours. Later, Nazmul took the woman to a tours and travels company in the capital’s Gulshan-1 area and introduced her to Md. Belayet Hossain, the first accused in the case, as the head of the company.
The accused made a financial deal with the woman by promising to grant her a visa. Later, a total of 440,000 taka was collected from her at various times. After paying the money, her passport was returned to her.
Then the husband in Italy bought plane tickets for his wife and children. When the victim went to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with the children on the appointed day, immigration officials said that another woman had already left for Italy on April 24 using the Italian visa in her passport.
Shocked by the incident, he filed a complaint with the CID’s human trafficking wing. After the investigation revealed the truth of the complaint, a raid was conducted and seven people were arrested.
The CID’s initial investigation revealed that the gang used to extort huge amounts of money from those interested in going abroad by offering them Italian visas and a better life. Later, they would strategically keep their passports in their custody and send someone else abroad instead of the real passport holder through fraud.
From the 56 passports and 153 seals seized, it is believed that the gang had been involved in visa fraud and human trafficking in a planned manner for a long time.
The CID also said that preliminary investigation has found that Belayet Hossain, who was arrested as the ringleader of the gang, was involved in sending about 30 people to Italy using the same tactic since 2016. He is currently on bail in a case filed at the Airport Police Station in 2024 for a similar crime, and the case is pending.
Additional Special Superintendent of Police Abu Taleb said that forensic examination of the seized passports, seals and computers is underway. In addition, investigations are continuing to identify the financial transactions of the accused, domestic and foreign associates and possible more victims.
The CID has urged people not to give up money or passports without verification and screening in the case of employment or immigration abroad. At the same time, it has requested that people go abroad through the legal process approved by the government and immediately inform law enforcement agencies if they suspect visa fraud or human trafficking.
