The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested a suspected human trafficker allegedly linked to a Mediterranean Sea voyage that left 45 migration seekers dead, including 18 Bangladeshis, in March.
The arrestee is Md Mikail Islam of Sunamganj’s Dirai upazila and is accused of luring victims with promises of illegal passage to Greece in exchange for large sums of money.
He was arrestest from the Sylhet airport area on Monday during an ongoing investigation into the tragedy, according to a CID press release on Wednesday and signed by CID Special Superintendent of Police (media) Jasim Uddin Khan.
According to CID, one of the victims, identified by the pseudonym Masum, was from the same village as the arrested suspect. Investigators found that Masum’s family was persuaded to pay nearly Tk13 lakh after being promised safe passage to Greece.
The network allegedly demanded Tk550,000 to send him to Libya and another Tk750,000 upon arrival in Greece.
CID said Masum was later sent to Libya after staying in Dhaka for 17 days, where he was reportedly detained and used to pressure his family for additional payments. Acting on traffickers’ instructions, his father deposited Tk400,000 into a bank account in January and later handed Tk150,000 in cash to Mikail.
On March 21, 2026, a total of 45 migration seekers, including 18 Bangladeshis, were illegally transported by sea towards Greece, the CID said. The vessel later became stranded in the Mediterranean for several days, leaving passengers without adequate food and water.
Eighteen Bangladeshi migrants reportedly died from starvation and dehydration as conditions worsened.
Quoting survivors, CID said traffickers instructed passengers to dispose of the bodies at sea.
CID Special Superintendent of Police (Media) Jasim Uddin Khan said investigators believe an international trafficking syndicate was behind the operation, collecting large sums by promising illegal migration routes to Europe and exposing victims to deadly sea journeys.
Efforts were underway to identify and arrest other members of the network, CID added.