Shah Alam Nur :
Several thousand foreign nationals are allegedly involved in serious crimes across the country as organised gangs are now eyeing a bonanza in various thriving sectors.
According to intelligence sources, the foreigners are involved in illegal voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) trade, money laundering, drug trafficking, smuggling of gold and other metals, and minting and supply of counterfeit currency notes.
The sources said the lust for hot bucks of such rackets came to such a pass that it emerged as a most challenging task for the law-enforcers in recent times.
When contacted, Alamgir Rahman, Special Superintendent (Special Branch) told The New Nation on Monday that the plainclothes police have recently taken some initiatives like preparation of a list of those foreigners who are overstaying in the country and are linked to international crime rings.
“For alleged involvement in crimes like drug-dealing, counterfeiting currencies and illegal VoIP trade, the law- enforcing agencies have arrested more than 150 foreigners in the past two years,” he said.
According to SB statistics, around 50,000-60,000 foreigners are now staying in the country illegally. This poses a serious threat to national security and creates extra pressure on law-enforcement department.
The specialized branch of police, in recent times, traced more than 11 local and 30 international syndicates and another strong crime cartel involved in gold smuggling through the three international airports of the country, added the statistics.
“The law-enforcement department has been observing in recent times criminals from foreign countries alarmingly involved in financial crimes,” the SB official said.
He said more than 3,500 foreign nationals, involved in criminal activities, are staying across the country under the shelter and support of a section of locals.
“Many foreigners with a motive of committing crimes are arriving in Bangladesh on tourist, business and student visas. They don’t go back as they are getting involved in various financial crimes.” said the police official.
Also, a large number of foreigners are doing jobs illegally in private companies, like different manufacturing factories, beauty parlours, restaurants and hotels. They don’t have any work permit, he said.
Apart from gold smuggling and money laundering, SB found involvement of the foreign nationals in several other sectors, including human trafficking, forgery of foreign currencies, trafficking in narcotic drugs, counterfeit cosmetics and fake currencies and so.
He said the foreign criminals involved in financial crimes are residing across the country but most of them are living in the city’s posh areas, some of which came under raids recently.
Uttara, Banani, Gulshan, Baridhara, Nikunja, Karwan Bazar, Dhanmondi and Lalmatia are among the areas of their surreptitious residency, he said.
Mr Rahman said in December 2013, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personals arrested 37 foreigners and six Bangladeshis with a huge quantity of illegal VoIP equipment from a house in Uttara.
Meanwhile, experts viewed that for Bangladesh’s suitable geographic location, global financial crime syndicates are using the country as a transit route to gold smuggling, foreign currency and drug trafficking to several countries.
India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, Switzerland and some other potential pockets of the world are targeted as lucrative destinations for the informal trans-national trade.
As a crackdown is now underway, intelligence agencies suspect activities of such operators of economic underworld from 20 countries, including India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Korea, China, Turkey, Hungary, Peru and some African countries.
According to Ministry of Home Affairs, there are 549 foreigners of 12 countries now in different jails in the country.
Dr. Zia Rahman, chairman of the Department of Criminology of Dhaka University, said due to having a suitable geographic location, the global financial criminal syndicates have been using the country as a transit route for gold smuggling, foreign currency and drug trafficking to several countries, especially the bordering countries.
He alleged that the officials of different government agencies are also involved in the crimes, which gives opportunity to the foreign nationals for wrongdoing.
“Strict law and regulation should be enforced and exemplary punishment be given to the criminals, both local and foreign. This can make a control over the saturated criminal activities,” he added.
