Illegal aliens involved in serious financial crimes

Several thousand foreign nationals are allegedly involved in serious financial 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, the smuggling of gold and other metals and minting and supply of counterfeit currency notes.
Officials 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.
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, India and a number of African countries in particular.
Other nationals are from Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the Philippines, Korea, China, Turkey, Hungary and Peru.
According to Special Branch (SB) statistics, around 50,000-60,000 foreigners are now staying in Bangladesh 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 Bangladesh.
"The law-enforcement department has been observing in recent times criminals from foreign countries alarmingly involved in financial crimes," an official of the SB told the FE, requesting anonymity.
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.
The police official said 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.
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, Karwanbazar, Dhanmondi and Lalmatia are among the areas of their surreptitious residency.
The official said among the suspects, African nationals are second in number. They are involved in illegal drug trafficking, fake currency making and supply, and VoIP trade.  
He said on November 14 last, law-enforcement agencies detained an Indian citizen with 3 kilograms of gold worth about Tk 13 million from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the city. Another two Indian nationals were arrested from Rajbari on June 21 this year.
An Indian citizen was arrested with 134 gold bars worth Tk 51m ($658,000) in January this year, he said.
When contacted, Alamgir Rahaman, special superintendent of the SB, said the plainclothes police recently took some of initiatives, including preparation of a list of those foreigners who are overstaying 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.
Mr Rahman said in last December, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personals arrested 37 foreigners and six Bangladeshis with a huge quantity of illegal VoIP equipment from a house in Uttara.
In separate drives, a total of 31 foreigners were attested recently for staying in the country without any valid documents and involvement in several crimes.
State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said recently in parliament that for involvement in several crimes, there are 549 foreigners of 12 countries now in different jails of Bangladesh.
Of them, 76 foreign nationals are serving different jail terms while trials are going on against 393. A process is underway to send 80 back to their countries.
Sheikh Nazmul Alam, Deputy Commissioner of the detective branch (DB) of city police, north, said for ensuring security of the city-dwellers, they have been launching drives against the foreign criminals who are staying in the country illegally and involved in crimes.
He said the law-enforcement department is very serious as in recent times strong initiatives have been taken against the criminals involved in financial crimes.
"We have information that a large number of foreign nationals staying illegally in city's several areas are involved in various criminal activities like drug peddling, illegal VoIP business and currency forgery," the DC of DB said.
"Within a short time the law-enforcement department wants to go for a crackdown against them." He added.
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 bordering countries.
He said the officials of different government agencies are also involved in the crimes, which gives opportunity to the foreign nationals for wrongdoing.
He named a section of staffers of Bangladesh Biman.
"Strict law and regulation should be enforced and exemplary punishment should be given to the criminals, both local and foreign. This can make a control over the saturated criminal activities," he added.

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