Houses, cars, and farms financed with ransom money

Satbaria market, located in Kalia upazila, is about 25 kilometers from Narail district town. The market is bisected by the Taki canal. By the side of this canal stands a luxurious two-story house. It stands out among the ordinary houses around it.

This house belongs to Alauddin Sheikh who is a member of a human trafficking ring.

According to Prothom Alo's investigation, Alauddin Sheikh and his gang used to take people to Libya on the pretext of sending them to Italy and hold them hostage.

The gang would then send videos of the victims being tortured to their family members to extort hundreds of thousands of taka in ransom. The proceeds enabled its members to amass substantial wealth, including houses, cars, and farms. Another member of the gang, Awal Farazi, also lives in Satbaria village, where he has built a striking two-storey house.

On 13 April, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed a case against 34 people, including Alauddin Sheikh and Awal Farazi. The CID's investigation revealed that this organised gang, luring victims with promises of taking to Italy, had transacted over Tk 37. 6 billion in various bank accounts over a five-year period through hostage and ransom operations in Libya. Members of this gang are spread across 11 districts in the country.

According to organisations working for migrant workers' rights, over fifty such gangs are active in various areas of the country. Most members of such gangs have become the owners of immense wealth.

CID's additional deputy inspector general (Additional DIG) of the financial crime division, Muhammad Bashir Uddin, told Prothom Alo that a case has been filed against a human trafficking gang involved in hostage-taking for ransom in Libya and hundi operations, and an investigation into their wealth is ongoing.

On 12 July, a visit to Alauddin Sheikh's house revealed high boundary walls as well as CCTV cameras at the entrance. As soon as the doorbell rang, Alauddin Sheikh's mother opened the door. After identifying herself, she called her husband Ali Sheikh. Stating that their son Alauddin was currently in Khulna, they mentioned that there is a cattle farm on the west side of the house and that construction for another cattle farm on about a bigha of land next to the house was underway. They also mentioned a luxurious house in Khulna along with an expensive car.

Ali Sheikh remarked, "Our lives changed after our son went abroad." However, he claimed that Alauddin worked as a contractor in Libya, employing local people, and that the money from these people was deposited in his (Ali Sheikh's) bank account, which he distributed among family members.

According to Ali Sheikh, "This is why it's called 'hundi' (informal money transfer), and I was also involved in a case. I have stopped dealing with such matters for five or six years."

Alauddin Sheikh claims similarly. On 30 July, he told Prothom Alo that he held a lucrative job in Libya, earning a handsome salary, which enabled him to build a house and farm.

The same day at Awal Farazi's house, only his mother, Haricha Begum, was present. She said, "Earlier, he took some people abroad, but Awal returned home after about a year and gave up everything. People made it successfully, with no accidents happening. As Awal was involved in account business, my other son Rabbani was arrested, and now the remaining sons are in Khulna."

Attempts to contact Awal Farazi were unsuccessful, as he has gone into hiding following his brother's arrest.

A source associated with the CID's investigation indicates that members of Alauddin and Awal's gang are active in Libya and different areas of the country. They smuggle people into Libya, extracting millions in ransom money. Alauddin went to Libya 12 years ago, and later, he joined Awal in human trafficking.

Another member of this gang, Md Alauddin, also hails from the Kalia area of Narail. He too was in Libya at one point but returned to the country a few years ago. Investigators noted that Alauddin was responsible for holding victims, collecting ransom, and coordinating with local members.

Ransom money in housewives and grocery shopkeepers' accounts

The CID's investigation uncovered that ransom money was used to build houses, farms, business establishments, and run hundi operations through the same network. The ransom money transacted through at least 114 bank accounts used by the gang.

Analysing case details and bank accounts revealed that significant amounts of ransom money were transacted through bank accounts of gang members, including housewives, grocery shopkeepers, and pharmacy owners. Many of these accounts belonged to relatives and acquaintances of gang members, who were paid a commission of Tk 500 to Tk 1000 per Tk 100,000 for the use of their accounts.

An official involved with the investigation told Prothom Alo that about Tk 20 million was transacted through the bank account of a store named Shukur Medical Hall in Narail over the past two years.

To conceal the real source of the funds, multiple accounts were deliberately used, the investigators explained. They stated that human trafficking, hostage-taking for ransom, and hundi operations were all conducted through the same network. More information on the gang's financial transactions, assets, and overseas associates is being gathered. They anticipate that the investigation may reveal further involvement of individuals and institutions.

Amena Begum, from Maksudpur in Gopalganj, dreamt of sending five family members, including two grandsons from her son and daughter’s side, to Italy. Trusting the words of middlemen, she agreed to pay a total of Tk 9 million, or Tk 18,00,000 per person. After selling land and borrowing money, she settled the payment. However, instead of reaching Italy, Amena Begum's relatives were taken to Libya. There, they were held hostage, and videos of their torture were sent to demand additional ransom money from their families.

On 15 July, Amena Begum told Prothom Alo that she transferred Tk 7.5 million to the bank accounts of human trafficking gang members Mina Begum, Nurul Islam, and Murad Mia. Only after receiving the money were her family members sent across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy by boat.

The CID stated that Alauddin Sheikh is the head of a strong 'network' operating in 11 districts of the country, involved in human trafficking and extorting ransom by holding people hostage in Libya.

The members of this network include Md. Jewel Ali and Md. Tojammel Haque from Shibganj’s Pordhumihatpur and Chaipara villages in Chapainawabganj respectively; Sreemati Gauri Rani Mohoshot from Mukandpur village in Dhamoirhat, Naogaon; Shipu Kaviraj from Chardoulotkhana, Kalkini in Madaripur; Asma Begum from Madhavpur, Homna in Comilla, Md. Masudur Rahman from Sholapara, Shibchar in Madaripur, Abdullah Al Noman from Uloorchar, Comilla Sadar, Nusrat Shaheen Iti from Bagmara, Lalmatiya Police Station, Kazi Md. Billal Hossain from Nalchok, Daudkandi, Md. Shahidul Islam from Haripur, Nangalkot; Md. Tauhidul Islam from Banargati, Shonadanga in Khulna, Md. Shamim Sana from Horinagar, Koyra, and Md. Abdul Hai from Parmochandpur, Dighalia; Hanif Mia from Boragirkandi, Austagram in Kishoreganj; Md. Ziaur Rahman from Harkali village, Gangachara in Rangpur; Md. Rezaul Karim from Rangamatia, Fatikchari in Chittagong; Md. Robiul Islam, Md. Rakibul, Md. Ali Sheikh, and Morad Molaya from Satbaria, Kalia in Narail, Mina Akter from Silimpur; Md. Ayub Ali, Ruhul Amin, and Md. Arshad Ali from Dhulgram, Abhoynagar in Jessore; Md. Nurul Islam and Mina Akter from South Titapara, Dimla in Nilphamari; Ripon Mia from Uttarkalamridha, Bhanga, in Faridpur; Md. Ferdaus Wahed and Md. Abdur Rahim from Jagusa Bazar, Maheshpur in Jhenaidah and Md. Abdus Salam from Damodarpur, Kaliganj.

A source close to the investigation stated that gang members, moving from village to village, duped people with promises of taking them abroad, collecting millions of Taka from them, and then sending them to Libya to be received by Awal and Alauddin. Subsequently, the gang members would extract ransom money from the families.

The investigation found that the gang used a hundi network to bring foreign currency into the country outside the legal banking channels. As a result, ransom money and hundi money were transacted using the same bank account. The CID has identified 18 business establishments involved in ransom and hundi money transactions, which have been included as accused in the case.

According to CID sources, these establishments are only nominal. With trade licences, these establishments conducted hundi money transactions.

A study by BRAC revealed that most Bangladeshis faced terrible sufferings after going to Libya lured by promises of good jobs. Analysing information from 557 Bangladeshis who returned from Libya, the organisation found that 60 per cent of their families were promised good jobs by the local brokers, but upon reaching Libya, 89 per cent did not find any employment or work. Rather, 63 per cent were captured en route. Among the captives, 93 per cent were detained in various camps, and 79 per cent experienced physical torture. Furthermore, upon arriving in Libya, 68 per cent lost the freedom to move freely, and there was a significant food shortage — 54 per cent never received three meals a day, while 22 per cent received only one meal a day.

When asked, Shariful Islam, associate director of BRAC Migration Programme and Youth Platform, told Prothom Alo that there are over a hundred camps in Libya where people are held hostage and tortured.

Within Libya, ransom demands ranged from Tk 500,000 to Tk 7.6 million from families of hostages.

He emphasised that besides bringing individuals involved in hostage rings to justice, their assets should also be seized.

[Narail Correspondent Md Raju Sheikh assisted in filing the report]