Dhaka-Moscow human trafficking racket boss held at Dhaka airport

Tamanna Zerin, the alleged mastermind behind a human trafficking network smuggling individuals from Bangladesh to Russia, has been apprehended by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. 

She was detained on Thursday (February 6) morning as she attempted to flee to Nepal.

Tamanna Zerin is accused in a human trafficking case registered with the Banani Police Station in the capital. Investigations reveal that those trafficked through her network were reportedly coerced into fighting for Russia against Ukraine, under false promises of employment opportunities.

According to CID sources, victims like Humayun Kabir and his brother-in-law Rahmat Ali, residents of Hulhulia in Singra of Natore, fell prey to this racket. To fund their migration to Russia, they sold family land and jewellery via brokers and took out high-interest loans. Upon arrival, instead of finding legitimate jobs, they were forcibly deployed to the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Humayun Kabir tragically lost his life in a drone attack on January 23, with news of his death reaching his family on January 26. Rahmat Ali, who survived, now seeks to return home.

The families recounted how Humayun and Rahmat travelled to Russia on December 30 through a travel agency named Dream Home Travel and Tours Limited, based in Dhaka. 

Upon reaching Russia, they were compelled to join the war effort rather than being provided the promised employment. 

This revelation prompted heightened vigilance among Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies, leading to the identification and arrest of Tamanna Zerin as the key orchestrator of the trafficking operation.