The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday night arrested a suspected ringleader of a Kuwait-based human trafficking ring in Narsingdi’s Madhabdi upazila.
The arrestee has been identified as Amir Hossain alias Siraj Uddin.
The CID learned about Amir through a report provided by Kuwaiti intelligence.
According to CID sources, four notorious human traffickers had been sending people to Kuwait from various countries, including Bangladesh, for quite a long time. And of the four, Amir along with two others are Bangladeshis, they added.
This gang, led by Amir, has trafficked more than 900 Bangladeshis to Kuwait for Tk6 lakh or more from each.
After arriving in Kuwait, the trafficked Bangladeshis realize that the promise of good jobs and high salaries had all been lies and then they are forced to live on the streets with no money and food, the CID sources said.
CID officials said Amir and his associates used to collect forged visas from the Kuwaiti authorities with the help of a local human trafficking ring there.
Speaking to the media, Jishan Ul Haque, ASP of CID, said: “The three Bangladeshis – of the four ring leaders of the human trafficking ring, including Amir – were sentenced to three years in prison by a Kuwaiti court. They were also fined for their crimes. But somehow these three managed to flee from Kuwait and come back to Bangladesh.
“However, the one Kuwaiti national who was also a leader of this ring is currently in prison there.”
“Recently the CID's organized crime department launched an investigation regarding this matter on the basis of information provided by Kuwaiti intelligence and on Tuesday night was able to detain Amir.
“He is being interrogated for more information to be revealed in this regard. We are continuing our efforts to arrest the other members of this ring,” he added.
