Rab busts human -trafficking gang

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) early yesterday detained a gang of 24 alleged human traffickers in different parts of the capital following rescue of 10 victims at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).

The 10 victims were rescued on March 1 while they were going to Indonesia on tourist visas and were supposed to go Malaysia by trawler from there, said Lt Col Tuhin Mohammad Masud, commanding officer of Rab-3, at a press briefing at Rab's media center in Kawranbazar.

Getting information from them, Rab arrested the 24, including Shafiqul Islam alias Guru, Tanzim and Abul Bashar, an expatriate in Malaysia.

Guru and Bashar are the main culprits who mainly target people of remote areas and lure them with better life abroad, he added.

Rab also recovered Tk 6 lakh, which was extorted as ransom after holding victims captive, and seized a huge number of passports, fake visas and fake visa making materials.  Asked about involvement of any travel agent, he said they are suspecting involvement of one or two legal travel agents. These agencies, joining hand with some illegal travel agents, send Bangladeshis to some countries that allow entry only with travel visa, he added.

Later, foreign agents of the gang send the Bangladeshis to desired countries by sea route, he said.

Meanwhile, the elite force rescued 27 men from the airport yesterday who were deported from Libya by a Turkish airways flight.

Lybian police arrested them while these Bangladeshi were going to Italy through sea and they were punished in prison or six months. Later, they were rescued by International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Bangladesh Embassy in Lybia.