Sex traffickers active in myriad guises
Choreographers, actress’ manager ‘involved’ in sending girls to Dubai: CID
Manager of a well-known film actress and at least couple of choreographers are allegedly involved in trafficking girls to Dubai.
They allegedly send girls aged between 18 and 20, who got in touch with them to pursue a dance career in the film industry, to Dubai with promise of a lucrative job.
The girls were later forced into sex trade, said officials of the Criminal Investigation Department.
CID claimed to have got the information after a broker, who worked closely with this trafficking racket, gave confessional statement before the court under section 164.
In the confessional statement, the broker -- Md Yeasin (33) -- mentioned that he has been involved in sending female artists abroad since 2015.
Yeasin said he met one Md Azam Khan, leader of the trafficking gang, in 2016 and started sending young female artists to his club in Dubai for Tk 10,000 commission, sources in court told this newspaper quoting Yeasin.
In the statement on August 20, Yeasin told the court that he had two dance academies -- Modern and Nirmal -- in Narayanganj.
From the academies, Yeasin said he used to take artists to different social events such as weddings or birthdays. Many of the girls often requested him to send them abroad, Yeasin told court.
He further said his close associate Nazim, who lives in Chattogram, visited one of his academies once and said the girls can get jobs at clubs in Dubai.
Nazim said his brother Azam Khan had four "dance clubs" there and can arrange work for them, said Yeasin in the statement.
Yeasin said Nazim then told him names of some choreographers and manager of a well-known actress and informed that they also provided him with artists for "jobs" in Dubai.
He said he recognised the names right away. Some people from the industry used to gather girls from across the country, promising them jobs in media and foreign countries, he added.
Though Yeasin mentioned the names, this newspaper is withholding those for the sake of investigation.
Yeasin said Nazim told him that each artists who wanted to go to Dubai will get Tk 50,000 monthly salary. Following the offer, Yeasin sent three girls to Dubai and received Tk 30,000 from Nazim as commission, he told in his statement.
Once there, Nazim's brother Azam Khan and Ershad forced the girls into sex trade. Yeasin claimed that he came to know about sex trafficking after he tried to check on the girls. They also said they never received their salaries.
CID first came to know about the racket following arrest of Azam in early July. Azam gave his confessional statement on July 13 and said he has been involved in trafficking for last eight years.
CID has already arrested three associates of Azam, including Yeasin. Two other arrestees also gave similar statements.
Syeda Jannat Ara of CID said they have already made some progress and identified Azam's cohorts. "We are now conducting drives to arrest them," she added.
CHOREOGRAPHER SOHAG HELD
In another development, CID on Thursday night arrested dancer and choreographer Ivan Shahriar Sohag for his alleged involvement in trafficking girls to Dubai.
He was arrested from Niketan in the capital.
Yeasin, who was arrested in a trafficking case filed with Lalbagh Police Station on July 2, in his confessional statement disclosed involvement of Ivan, said CID officials.
In a media statement yesterday, CID said they are now interrogating Ivan. A total of six people were arrested in the case and four of them have already gave confessional statements in the court.