Biman official arrested over fake visa scheme that got three to Italy

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested a Biman Bangladesh Airlines ground officer for helping three passengers reach Italy on fake Schengen visas using a Nepal boarding pass ruse.

Two of the three were caught at Rome airport and sent back, while one made it through immigration.

The two returnees told investigators during questioning that they had struck a Tk 3 million deal with a syndicate to sneak out of the country, having already paid Tk 2 million each upfront.

Following up on their statements, detectives traced and arrested Biman Ground Officer Mohammad Akhlasur Rahman.

CID Special Branch Superintendent of Police Badrul Alam Molla held a press conference at CID headquarters in Dhaka’s Malibagh on Tuesday afternoon, hours after Akhlasur was arrested from Jamalpur in the morning.

The three left Bangladesh on a Biman flight to Italy on May 26, Badrul said.

At Rome airport, Mostafizur Rahman Anik and Akkhay Chandra Das were caught with fake Schengen visas.

CID did not name the third person, who cleared Italian immigration and entered the country.

The two who were sent back were questioned by multiple agencies on May 28, which led investigators to the ring.

A case was filed at Airport Police Station on May 30, and CID's investigation into that case led to Akhlasur's arrest.

"Unfortunately, these passengers were not caught anywhere at our immigration or boarding pass check," Badrul said.

He explained the method: the three first obtained boarding passes for a Nepal-bound flight -- no visa is required for Nepal -- and used those to clear immigration. Though the boarding passes were genuine, their names were not on the passenger list for that flight.

Based on CCTV analysis of Dhaka airport, Badrul said the three did not go straight to immigration after collecting the boarding passes.

Instead they slipped out through Gate 5, a staff entrance, went to a car in the car park, and collected Italian boarding passes, tickets and fake visas from someone there.

"After returning and clearing immigration on the Nepal boarding passes, we can see a Biman Bangladesh officer assisting these three passengers. At one point they went to a washroom outside CCTV coverage, where they attached the fake Schengen visas to their passports," he added.

At the Immigration Security (INS) gate -- the final check before boarding -- Akhlasur, who was on duty, waved them through.

The CID officer said, "Their immigration had been done on the Nepal boarding passes. The only hurdle left to board the Italy-bound plane was the INS gate. Akhlasur was there, and with his help they got through and reached Italy.

“When they arrived, Italian immigration police identified the fake visas of two of them and sent them back.”

Three people have been named as suspects in the case, including another Biman official.

The CID said it plans to arrest them and others identified during the investigation in due course.

Badrul said the probe would not stop at touts and airline staff. "We do not want to limit this to just the broker network, this airline, or ticketing and recruiting agencies.

“Whether it is a government official, an autonomous body, or anyone connected to civil aviation -- whoever is found involved in human trafficking or migrant smuggling will be brought to book,”

Akhlasur has verbally admitted his involvement, Badrul said, adding that he would be produced before a court after being brought to Dhaka. He had not yet spoken about any other incidents.

The senior CID officer said better coordination between airline boarding pass lists and immigration police is needed to prevent such fraud.

"This lack of coordination between the airline and immigration police is, I believe, responsible for this. More than 30 agencies operate there. If we can prove any official from any of those agencies is linked to such a crime, we will bring them to justice," he added.