Kuwait-based human trafficking ringleader arrested in Narsingdi

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Monday night arrested a human trafficking ringleader in Madhabdi upazila of Narsingdi.

Forty-nine-year-old Ameer Hossain alias Siraj Uddin used to operate his human trafficking business from Kuwait. 

Razib Farhan, an additional superintendent of CID, told The Business Standard that the ringleader fled Kuwait in May last year after he had faced a trial there on charge of his involvement in human trafficking. 

"In his locality, he used to portray himself as a perfect gentleman. It was hard to believe that he could do such a heinous act. Besides, the victims of his locality did not complain against him as he had connections with the local elites," Farhan added. 

He said that the CID arrested the ringleader based on a report of a foreign intelligence agency. 

Ameer went to Kuwait many years ago. Along with two other compatriots and a Kuwaiti national, he formed a human trafficking gang there. The gang trafficked around 900 Bangladeshis to Kuwait so far, reads a press release.

CID sources also said that the gang members used to collect forged visas from the Kuwaiti authorities. They sent the visas to fortune seekers back in Bangladesh. In exchange, they would take Tk6 lakh per person.

Though the job seekers had left their homeland for Kuwait with high hopes, they finally did not get any jobs there. Moreover, they had to spend days on the streets, with no food or accommodation.

The Kuwaiti authorities started an investigation after some victims lodged complaints against the smuggling ring. 

A Kuwaiti national, one of the ringleaders, is serving a six-year jail term in his country on human trafficking charges. But Ameer and two other Bangladeshis had managed to flee back home before they were awarded any jail terms or fines.

CID officials said the operation was going on, and they were trying to arrest other gang members.