The Rapid Action Battalion in a raid on a house at Uttara in the capital detained at least 37 foreigners and four Bangladeshis with huge VoIP equipment on Sunday night.
Among the detainees, 32 were Taiwanese and five Chinese nationals, a RAB official said.
Seven of the detainees were women, he said.A team of RAB 1 also detained four Bangladeshis – two of them named Habib who were drivers of the foreigners, Kamrul, security guard, and Rashed, who helped them in extending their visas in Bangladesh.
Detailed identities of the foreign nationals could not immediately be known. RAB also could not confirm the identity of the building owner. On information, the RAB team led by senior assistant director Riyadul Islam, raided the six-storey building at Uttara sector 12, detained them and seized the equipment worth over Tk 1 crore, Riyadul told New Age.
In an impromptu press briefing, RAB legal and media wing director ATM Habibur Rahman said that the foreigners had rented the entire building in which they had been living for more than one year and a half.
The RAB official said that the detainees had been involved in illegal VoIP business even without work permits.
‘We suspect that they have already smuggled hundreds of crores of Taka out through this business,’ said Habib.
The foreigners came to Bangladesh with tourist visas and stayed here for more than one year and a half by extending their visas with the help of Rashed, he said.
Sensing the presence of RAB, the foreigners snapped the lines of the system which they were using to exchange data, said the RAB spokesperson, The Bangladeshis claimed that the foreigners had introduced themselves as apparel traders to them, said RAB1 commander Kismat Hayat.
RAB said that the VoIP devices have powerful equipment.
Legal action will be taken against them.
-With New Age input
