The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested a Biman Bangladesh Airlines official for his alleged involvement in a human trafficking syndicate that sent migrants to Italy using forged Schengen visas.
The arrestee, identified as Mohammad Akhlashur Rahman, 40, was apprehended by the CID’s Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) unit around 3:30am on Tuesday from Nilkhia Bazar in Bakshiganj area of Jamalpur.
Akhlashur serves as a junior officer (ground service) at INS Gate of the national flag carrier.
According to the case statement, the trafficking ring lured victims with the promise of employment and a better life in Italy, entering a contract of Tk30 lakh per person. The victims reportedly paid Tk20 lakh each, in exchange for which the syndicate provided them with flight tickets for Nepal and Italy, boarding passes, and Schengen visas.
On 26 May, the victims boarded a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight to Italy. However, upon arrival at Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, Italian immigration authorities identified their Schengen visas as forged. The victims were detained for two days before being deported to Bangladesh on 28 May.
Upon their return, the victims provided detailed accounts of the scam during interrogations by the immigration police, CID, and other agencies. Investigations revealed that the syndicate had defrauded the victims of large sums of money through false promises of legal employment abroad using fake documents.
A case was subsequently filed at the Airport (DMP) Police Station on 30 May under Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act 2026 and various sections of Penal Code.
The CID’s THB unit identified Akhlashur’s involvement through intensive investigation, intelligence analysis, and the use of information technology.
“The investigation is ongoing to identify and arrest the mastermind of the trafficking ring and other associates,” a CID official stated.
The CID has urged citizens seeking overseas employment or travel to follow only government-approved and legal processes. It also requested the public to immediately inform the department of any information regarding human trafficking, visa forgery, or migrant smuggling.
