DHAKA, July 21, 2026 (BSS) - Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested seven members of an organized human trafficking syndicate accused of sending another woman to Italy using a genuine passport holder's visa and travel documents.

The suspects were arrested during a raid in Dhaka's Gulshan-1 area on Monday by the CID's Human Trafficking Branch (THB), according to a CID press release issued today.

Police also seized 56 passports, 153 forged seals bearing the names of government, private and foreign institutions, an embossing seal, three CPUs, a laptop, and Tk 250,000 in cash.

According to the CID, the syndicate lured aspiring migrants with promises of Italian visas, collected large sums of money, and illegally retained their passports.

In one case, a woman paid Tk 440,000 for an Italian visa, only to discover at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport that another unidentified woman had already travelled to Italy on April 24 using her visa and passport details.

Investigators said the group used forged documents to replace legitimate visa holders with other individuals, facilitating illegal migration while defrauding victims.

Preliminary findings indicate the alleged ringleader, Belayet Hossain, have been involved in similar operations since 2016 and are suspected of sending around 30 people to Italy through fraudulent means. 

He is also on bail in a similar case filed in 2024.

A case has been filed under the Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Prevention and Suppression Act, 2026, along with several sections of the Penal Code.

CID said forensic examinations and financial investigations are underway to identify additional members, local and foreign collaborators, and other victims.