December 11, 2024
DHAKA – Police have arrested two Chinese nationals in separate raids on charges of human trafficking after a 21-year-old woman escaped her alleged traffickers at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and sought help from law enforcement.
Airport Armed Police Battalion (APBn) apprehended suspects Fan Gouwei, 27, and Yang Xuekui, 25, on Monday from the airport and Nikunja areas, according to an APBn press release issued today.
The victim, a woman from Chandpur, filed a case over the incident with the Airport Police Station.
A team led by APBn Additional Superintendent of Police Anita Rani Sutradhar arrested Fan Gouwei after the survivor reported that he was attempting to forcibly traffic her to China.
During his interrogation and further information provided by the survivor, authorities discovered a residence in Nikunja harbouring more traffickers and victims.
A joint team comprising APBn, CID, and the National Security Intelligence (NSI) subsequently raided the location and arrested Yang Xuekui.
Several pieces of evidence linked to the trafficking ring were recovered during the operation, though some suspects managed to flee, according to the press release.
Officials said efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining gang members.
The survivor told APBn that two years ago, she befriended two individuals, Tipu and Jihad, on Facebook.
On October 26, they lured her to Dhaka with a promise of employment at a Chinese company. Upon her arrival, she was taken to a house on Road 9/B in Nikunja-1, where a man named Nuru forcibly married her to a Chinese national, Yang Hao, 32, in a staged ceremony.
The victim reported seeing seven to eight Chinese men and several Bangladeshi women at the house.
Yang Hao allegedly left for China last week, leaving others, including Fan Gouwei, to prepare her documents for trafficking.
The gang confined her to the house, preventing any contact with the outside world, she told police.
On Monday, the traffickers took her to the Dhaka airport to board a China-bound flight. However, she managed to escape and alerted authorities.
APBn’s Commanding Officer, Additional DIG Shihab Kaiser Khan, stated, “Human trafficking rings from various countries often collaborate with local agents, preying on vulnerable rural women with false promises. We take immediate action upon receiving credible information.”