Bangladesh police found that Libya-based extremist groups are pocketing huge ransom money from Bangladeshi human traffickers, who have been luring gullible youths with lucrative offer of migration to Europe.
International human trafficking godfathers paying huge sums of money to the Libyan extremist groups through laundering or hundi, according a investigations done by Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and Detective Branch (DB) police.
A senior of Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of Bangladesh said that human trafficking rings used to send the rustic youth to Libya, promising high salary and migration in European countries. Then the ring collects an amount of ransom from hostages and some Libyan law enforcers are involved with this crime. So they are working to trace out the money launderers and human traffickers to prevent the global extremism and people trafficking, said a police officer related with investigation process.
A total of 26 Bangladeshis had been shot dead at Mizdah desert in Libya on May 28 this year, and 11 others were seriously injured. Bangladesh government brought back the body and injured and ordered CID and DB to investigate this illegal trafficking incident. The units revealed the blood-chilling information and found out that Bangladeshi village level people traffickers, trafficking routes, international racket list.
International police organisation Interpol have issued red notice against six Bangladeshi notorious human trafficking godfathers after receiving application from CID.
Police said that hundreds of aspirant migrants were injured and some died by tortured at different times in Libya towards Europe. So many Bangladeshi youths have been missing for a long time; no one knows what happened to their fate.
“It is clear that human trafficking related currency transactions are being done by money launderers and the purse is being spent to commit multiple crimes including fanning of extremism, which is a concern for us. So those, who are dreaming of going abroad as expatriates, must have the card of government-approved Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET),” said Md. Moshiur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of Detective Branch.
BMET is a government department that is responsible for the training and employment of Bangladeshi overseas.
A mid-level officer of DB police said there is no permission to send a Bangladeshi as manpower to Libya. But local or village level brokers are luring the youths to send them to Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Cyprus from various Bangladeshi districts especially Madaripur, Shariatpur, Gopalganj and Sylhet. Then these aspiring youths gathered in capital city Dhaka to be trafficked.
Trafficking to Libya routes
Bangladesh police have found those conmen using four routes to send the people to Libya. In this case, they collect one month valid UAE or a Libyan travel visa from Libya Embassy in India. First route is Dhaka/Chattogram to Sharjah-Alexandria- Benghazi airport of Libya by airlines. Second route Dhaka/Chattogram-Tunisia- Benghazi; third route is Dhaka-Mumbai-Sharjah-Alexandria-Benghazi and last one is Dhaka to Kolkata by bus, then Alexandria-Benghazi by air.
An investigation officer of CID, unwilling to disclose his name, said Bangladeshi local brokers make a deal of around $12000 with aspirants by tempting to send them to Europe and collect around $3500 in advance before the visas are issued.
Then the aspirants are sent to Benghazi using the four routes and held hostage in warehouses, belongings are looted and inhuman torture is inflicted on them in various ways for ransom. Many of them die either due to grievous torture or of starvation. Those, who are lucky, come back to their homeland. Such trafficking victims said to the Bangladesh police that Libyan extremists, Bangladeshi rackets and local militia groups take part in the torture to milk money and demand ransom. At one stage of torture, trafficking victims are offered chances of talking back in Bangladesh over mobile phone or apps call to their families who become deeply moved by the torture and cry for help. So, they manage more money to save lives of their near and dear ones in danger abroad.
Relatives back at home make arrangements with those trafficker rackets in Bangladesh to handover the ransom money to the gang by mobile banking channels like Bkash, Rockets etc. The ransom is then paid in Libyan currency to the human trafficking rings who pass the buck to extremist gangs and their accomplices.
Abu Hena Md. Razee Hassan, chief of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), is Bangladesh Government agency responsible for investigating money laundering, suspicious transaction, and cash transaction reports works told The Business Post that foreign currency cannot come to our country due to such incidents. It affects valuable forex reserve of Bangladesh Bank.
He also said, earlier money laundering was done by money exchange traders, in the last few years this trend was changed. But at the moment illegal money siphoning syndicates are transacting using modern information technologies. This money is being used to commit various crimes including spread of extremism. We are working it with law enforcement units to close it.
Gaming rings
A total of 10 gaming rings are working in the 10 districts of Bangladesh, they have been assigned to collect Europe aspiring youth. The gaming rings are- Miraz, Badsha, Nuru, Artiar and Rubel in Madaripur district. David and Momin in Gopalganj, Monir for Shariatpur; Palash and Parvez in Sylhet, intelligence report revealed.
Moreover, at least 40-45 Bangladeshi traffickers' middlemen are living in Libya who collude with militia, law enforcers and collect ransom after torturing the victims in Libya.
''Trafficking rackets follow multiple steps such as they make passports, manage visa, air ticket, set the air routes for the inexperienced young people who eye to settle abroad. They fly to Libya. Then the rings start torture for ransom and the notorious godfathers flee to different countries, swindling the money,'' said Syeda Jannat Ara, Special Superintendent of CID, adding that it is harmful for both Bangladesh and Libya as the illegal money is fattening extremist groups.
The investigation officers also said a portion of illegal migrants, who have their relatives living for a long time, is sneaking into Libya. They also end up in traffickers’ camps, and give $6000 in ransom to go to Europe. Those who are paying this, a few of them are able to set sail on rickety boats in the Mediterranean Sea towards Italy.
Many drown in the deep sea while sailing on inflatable boat and a hand few reach the destination. But the sufferings culminate once they are detained by Libyan Navy or coastguard and sent to detention centres in Jofra area. Now the Libyan law enforcers demand money from the trapped, trafficking people, informed the Bangladesh police.
CID Additional Superintendent Md. Akteruzzaman said that a number of Bangladeshi retailers in Libya are involved with siphon off. They maintain a human traffickers group in both countries.
/wi
