The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested a Biman Bangladesh Airlines ground officer for allegedly helping three passengers travel to Italy using fake Schengen visas after they cleared immigration with Nepal-bound boarding passes.
The arrestee, Mohammad Akhlasur Rahman, was detained in Jamalpur on Tuesday morning, Superintendent of Police Badrul Alam Molla said at a press briefing at the agency's headquarters in Dhaka's Malibagh later in the day.
According to the CID, the three passengers left Dhaka for Italy on a Biman flight on May 26. Two of them, Mostafizur Rahman Anik and Akkhay Chandra Das, were detained at Rome airport after immigration authorities detected fake Schengen visas in their passports and sent them back to Bangladesh. A third passenger managed to clear immigration and enter Italy.
During questioning after their return, the two passengers told investigators that they had struck a deal worth Tk 30 lakh with a syndicate to facilitate their travel and had already paid Tk 20 lakh each in advance. A case was filed with Airport Police Station on May 30.
Based on their statements, detectives launched an investigation and later arrested Akhlasur.
SP Badrul said the three passengers had initially obtained genuine boarding passes for a Nepal-bound flight and used them to clear immigration. However, their names were not on the passenger list for that flight.
He said analysis of CCTV footage from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport showed that after collecting the Nepal-bound boarding passes, the passengers exited through Gate 5, a staff-only entrance, and went to a vehicle parked outside the terminal. There, they received Italy-bound boarding passes, air tickets and fake Schengen visas.
After returning to the terminal, they completed immigration formalities using the Nepal-bound boarding passes, Badrul said.
CID investigators also found footage showing Akhlasur assisting the passengers after immigration clearance.
"At one stage, they entered a washroom that was outside CCTV coverage and attached the fake Schengen visas to their passports," Badrul said.
He said that Akhlasur, who was on duty at the Immigration Security (INS) gate, the final checkpoint before boarding, allowed the passengers to pass through despite the discrepancies.
"Their immigration had already been completed using Nepal boarding passes. The only remaining hurdle was the INS gate. Akhlasur was there, and with his assistance they managed to board the Italy-bound flight," he said.
The CID has so far identified three suspects in the case, including another Biman official, and plans to arrest them as the investigation progresses, Badrul said, adding the probe would not be limited to brokers, airline staff or recruiting agencies.
