CID busts overseas job fraud ring 

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested three suspected members of a fraud ring accused of using forged documents and false promises of jobs in Jordan.

The arrestees were Manjur Pradhania, 35, Osman Gani, 25 of Chandpur district and Kazi Md Ata-e-Rabbi, 28 of Laxmipur district.

Tipped off, a team of CID’s Human Trafficking Monitoring Cell conducted a drive at the office of Surah Travels and Traders at Rupayan Millennium Square in North Badda on Sunday and arrested them, said a press release of CID.

According to CID officials, Surah Travels and Traders had been using the name, logo and seal of Jordan-based Jerash Garments and Fashion Manufacturing Company Limited, located in Al-Tajamouat Industrial Estate in Amman, without authorisation to recruit workers for Jordan.

The agency collected between Tk 2 lakh and Tk 2.50 lakh from each aspiring worker by offering employment visas and job opportunities in Jordan.

The alleged fraud came to light after the Jordanian company lodged a complaint through the Bangladesh Embassy in Jordan.
The complaint was later forwarded to the relevant authorities through the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, prompting the CID to launch an investigation.

Investigators found that although Surah Travels and Traders operates as a travel agency, it does not possess a valid recruiting licence.

Despite this, the company had reportedly been advertising overseas job opportunities in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Malaysia through its Facebook page.

During the raid, CID officers seized 55 Bangladeshi passports, 16 overseas employment agreements executed on non-judicial stamps, two CPUs and one DVR from the office.�"UNB