Be the First to Know

lanka matrimony

Man behind Oman trafficking racket remanded

0 138
Another agent in Avissawella remanded till December 1
The suspect at BIA.  Picture by T.K.G.Kapila.
The suspect at BIA. Picture by T.K.G.Kapila.

The mastermind of the human trafficking racket who brought Sri Lankan young women to Oman on tourist visas and sold them to millionaire businessmen has been remanded.

The Negombo Magistrate has ordered to remand the suspect till November 24 after Foreign Employment Bureau’s Special Investigation Unit officers presented him to the Magistrate.

The 44-year-old suspect Rizvi Mohammed Infas was arrested at the arrival terminal of the Bandaranaike International Airport by Immigration Department officials on Saturday.

This was according to an order given earlier by the Negombo Magistrate’s Court.

It has been revealed the suspect was arrested after investigations relevant to an unlicensed foreign employment agency in Maradana area run by him.

It is alleged that this agency and several other foreign employment agencies across the country was used by the suspect to smuggle young women to Oman for prostitution.

It is also alleged that he carried out the racket while pretending to be a high official in a government institution.

The SLBFE had received eight complaints regarding the suspect.It is alleged that there are several women who have sought refuge in the Sri Lankan embassies in Oman and UAE after becoming victims in this racket.

He is said to have brought women to UAE and trafficked them to Oman via land routes.

Meanwhile, another person involved in this racket was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department. The suspect named Balakrishnan Kuganeswaran a resident of Avissawella Puwakpitiya area was remanded until December 1.

This is following an investigation on a complaint made by popular singer Dushyanth Weeraman that 16 women, including a group of plantation women who were taken for work in Dubai, are being kept in a house in Abu Dhabi and there is a plan to take them to Oman illegally.

It is stated that a woman who worked in Weeraman’s house is among these 19 and she has asked Weeraman to help her.

Accordingly, after Weeraman informed Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara, an investigation has been started by the Foreign Employment Bureau.

He has also complained to the Criminal Investigation Department in this regard.

 


CID, Oman joint operation to bust human trafficking

 

Five Sri Lankans  hiding in Oman

Woman from Dambulla  behind racket

Gayan Kumara Weerasinghe

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is contemplating a joint operation with the Omani security authorities to arrest a group of organized human traffickers who  take Sri Lankan women to Oman through tourist visas and sell them for prostitution.

According to investigations five Sri Lankan’s are currently hiding in Oman who are engaged in human trafficking.

Information regarding them has been collected by the Trafficking and Smuggling Investigations Crime Division with the support of the Government Intelligence Service.

The Criminal Investigation Department is currently looking into the information regarding the property that these smugglers have earned from human trafficking

Since those properties have been acquired illegally, officials are also focusing on the possibility of confiscating those properties as well. The racket of taking Sri Lankan women to Oman and selling them as prostitutes has been run by a woman from Sri Lanka.

She is a resident of Dambulla and is said to be in hiding now. According to the Trafficking and Smuggling Investigation Maritime Crime Division investigations are on to arrest her. Information has also been revealed about other people who aided and abetted her in this racket and they are also going to be arrested.

It is said that some government officials too have supported this racket and they are to be arrested as well.Senior Superintendent of Police Samarakoon Banda said that it has been revealed from the investigations that that these women are trafficked and they only come to know the real source of their employment when they are auctioned for prostitution.

He said that investigations have revealed that these women have been auctioned at prices between 1 million to 2.5 million rupees.

Investigations have also revealed that those women have also received part of the money received after auctioning them. A police team has recorded statements from 45 women who were taken to Oman through tourist visas and subjected to various harassment including prostitution.

 

 

Monday, November 21, 2022 – 01:00











Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.