Libya Kidnapping Case: CID held human trafficker

Staff Reporter :

Bangladesh’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Wednesday arrested a key member of a transnational human trafficking network responsible for luring two Bangladeshi youths with promises of high-paying jobs in Greece, only to send them to Libya, where they were tortured and held for ransom.

Mohammad Nazir, son of Mozzafar Ali of Idhanpur village under Doarabazar police station in Sunamganj, was taken into custody around 3:30 p.m. near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. CID officials said Nazir played a central role in coordinating ransom collection from Bangladesh for victims held by armed mafia groups in Libya. Two additional trafficking cases linked to him are under investigation.

According to CID Special Superintendent Jasim Uddin Khan, the operation was orchestrated by Md Sharif Uddin, a Greece-based Bangladeshi who returned to the country last year. Sharif promised the victims “lucrative jobs” in Greece and demanded Tk15 lakh from each, initially receiving Tk2 lakh and their passports. Instead of Greece, the victims were flown to Libya in July via Dubai and Egypt, where armed operatives tortured them and confiscated all their money.

Nazir coordinated ransom demands, extorting Tk21.8 lakh from one family and Tk16 lakh from another. Even after payments, the youths were not immediately freed but handed over to Libyan authorities, where they were detained for 45 days before returning to Bangladesh on 29 August with assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The case was filed on 4 December under the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act at Haziganj Police Station in Chandpur. CID tracked Nazir’s movements during the investigation, leading to his arrest. During preliminary questioning, Nazir admitted involvement. Investigators revealed that the syndicate has extorted approximately Tk3.5 crore from 19 victims so far. Nine victims have returned with IOM assistance, while the remainder remain detained by Libyan mafia networks.

Authorities cautioned that Libya remains a major hub for human trafficking, where migrants are often held in secret detention facilities run by militias and criminal gangs. Bangladeshi migrants are particularly vulnerable, lured by promises of European employment and exploited by sophisticated trafficking networks.