Forced Into Prostitution In Dubai: CID to seek Interpol help to nab traffickers
The syndicate that has been trafficking thousands of Bangladeshi girls for last eight years and forcing them into sex work is also involved in trafficking girls from India and Pakistan. It's Indian and Pakistani members trafficked the girls to Dubai.
The syndicate is operating brothels in Dubai under the guise of hotel business where girls, aged 18-20, from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan are forced into prostitution.
Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, several high officials of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), investigating the syndicate, disclosed the development.
CID recently arrested ringleader Md Azam Khan and two other members -- Anowar Hossain Moyna and Alamin Hossain alias Diamond.
"We came to know about the racket's activities after interrogating the arrestees, talking with victims and analysing data," said a CID officer, requesting anonymity.
The officer further said they came to know that some local members in Dubai are also linked with the group.
Contacted, Imtiaz Ahmed, deputy inspector general of CID, told this correspondent yesterday that they have already got some names of the syndicate members, which include Indian and Pakistani nationals. All of them are now staying in Dubai.
"We are now preparing documents to seek Interpol's assistance through the National Central Bureau (NCB) in Police Headquarters (PHQ). It's a lengthy process and may take some time," he added.
TRAFFICKED INTO PROSTITUTION
The CID official said ringleader Azam has around 50 brokers in different districts in Bangladesh. The brokers would lure girls with the hopes of a job that would pay Tk 50,000 thousand per month, he said.
Once the girls would agree, Azam took support from some agencies and managed tourist visas for them. The brokers would get Tk 10,000 for managing each girl, said the official.
A high official of CID, requesting anonymity, said the syndicate always took four to five girls at a time and a broker traveled with them to Dubai.
"Once they reached Dubai, two brothers of Azam, who were also involved with the racket, took them to hotels," said the official, quoting two victims' confessional statement given in a court recently.
They would first be given jobs as receptionists or waitresses. A few days later, they would be forced to work at dance clubs and then as sex workers. The girls would be tortured if they refused.
Some eight victims have come back home in the last month with assistance of the Bangladesh embassy in the UAE, the official said.
In their statement, the two victims, who were trafficked to Dubai in January last year, said they were trying to escape and return to Bangladesh but could not as the group members kept constant watch.
Finally, they were able to manage the local number of Bangladesh embassy and sought help, they said.
Jishan Ul Hoque, senior assistant commissioner of CID, said they are now collecting information of the victims, who were trafficked by Azam's syndicate.
"We have information that a huge number of Bangladeshi girls are still held there. We are also informing the authorities concerned at the ministry and the embassy to take initiatives to bring them back home safely," he added.