Omi amassed considerable wealth through deceiving and trafficking jobseekers, CID says

Tuhin Siddiqui Omi, arrested following an attempted rape case filed by actress Pori Moni, has trafficked several hundred people abroad and amassed considerable wealth at home and abroad, said officials of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today.

"Omi has 50 to 60 agents across the country who lure people with promise of better jobs in Malaysia, Singapore and Dubai of United Arab Emirates and some other countries," CID Additional Deputy Inspector General Sheikh Omar Faruk told a news briefing.

Omi and his associates then deceive the fortune seekers mainly in two ways -- not sending them abroad even after taking money and sending people abroad, but once there, not given any job and kept confined, he added.

"People are stranded abroad without any jobs, millions of taka have also been scammed from jobseekers," he added.

CID came up with the information after arresting nine accomplices of Omi in connection with a human trafficking case filed with Dakshinkhan police station on Thursday.

The arrestees are Omi's close associate Jashim Uddin, Omi's brother-in-law Rakibul Islam Rana, Omi's driver Salauddin, and other associates Md Musa, Golap Hossain Bulbul, Zakir Hossain, Md Nazmul, Md Alam, and Shahjahan Sarkar.

They were arrested from different parts of the country, but dates of their arrests were not disclosed at the briefing.

Police seized four expensive cars owned by Omi, 395 passports, documents of assets, credit cards, 22 hard discs and some stamps.

The CID officials, however, could not confirm whether Omi has license of recruiting agencies and how long he has been involved in human trafficking.

The victims' families say those sent abroad have been passing days in difficulties and cannot find any work because they did not go to the countries through proper channels.

Many stranded are leading miserable lives in foreign land while Omi and his accomplices live in luxury in Bangladesh.

CID special police superintendent for Dhaka Metro (North) Khalidul Haque said they will initiate a money laundering inquiry against Omi.

Omi, 33, is the owner of Ayat Arafat Travel Tour Service in Ashkona and also the director of a training centre, known as Singapore Training Centre.

Omi was among five persons detectives arrested from Uttara area on June 14 after Pori Moni field a case with Savar Police Station against six persons for attempted rape and murder.

Known as an influential businessman in Dhaka's Dakshinkhan area and at clubs in the capital, Omi, had allegedly tricked Pori Moni into going to the Dhaka Boat Club around midnight on June 9.

There, according to the statement of the case filed by the actor, businessman and former president of Uttara Club Limited Nasir U Mahmud physically assaulted her, and tried to rape her with assistance of Omi and four unidentified persons.