Police rescue woman from trafficking gang after brother’s call to 999

The victim’s brother, a college student, called the national emergency helpline after her visa to Dubai aroused suspicion

Police have rescued a woman from being trafficked to Dubai after her younger brother called the national emergency helpline 999.

The law enforcers also arrested two suspected human traffickers.

Anwar Sattar, a police inspector of the national helpline, said the victim’s brother made a call to 999 and informed law enforcers that his 26-year-old sister was heading to Dubai with assistance from an unknown person to work as a beautician.

The woman and her family live in Dhaka’s Khilkhet. Her brother said he contacted the United Arab Emirates embassy in Dhaka as the copy of her visa aroused suspicion. The authorities confirmed that it was an illegal visa but his sister was already on the way to the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka with the trafficking gang.

His sister did not have a mobile phone, but the boy informed the law enforcers that the trafficking gang would arrive at the airport shortly as the flight was scheduled at 9 pm on Monday.

Sattar said the caller, a college student, contacted the helpline around 5:45 pm on Monday. The helpline immediately informed the Airport Police Station and immigration authorities, asking them to take measures to rescue the woman.

Shahnaz Begum, additional superintendent of immigration police, later postponed the woman’s trip and handed her over to her brother and husband.

Md Abdul Khaleque, 43, and Md Foyezullah Sobuj, 53, were arrested for their suspected links to human trafficking.

A case has been filed at the Airport Police Station over the incident, Sattar said.