Dhaka: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has apprehended three individuals allegedly involved in an organized fraud operation, which resulted in the embezzlement of Tk 45 lakh from a retired government official. The accused reportedly enticed the victim with a bogus job offer and a fabricated watch import-export business scheme.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the individuals arrested have been identified as Sanaj Saha alias Ujjwal Chowdhury, aged 56 from Shariatpur but currently residing in Khilkhet, and two others, Md. Mosharraf Hossain, 64, and Md. Shahjahan, 46, both from Dinajpur. A CID team apprehended the trio in connection with the case on Tuesday near the Tantibazar intersection in Dhaka, as confirmed by Special Police Super (media) of the CID, Md Jasim Uddin Khan.
The case statement reveals that the victim, a former employee of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, was contacted post-retirement by a fraud ring member posing as Md. Abdur Rashid. He was lured to a fake office in Uttara and offered a fake directorial position at an entity named "BCJ (Bangladesh China Japan)" with promises of a USD 2,500 monthly salary and additional benefits.
Further deception involved promises of significant profits via a watch import-export business. Two accomplices, impersonating representatives of an Indian company, convinced the victim to invest, guaranteeing swift returns through watch supplies. The victim was duped into paying Tk 45 lakh based on a verbal agreement.
During custody, the arrested admitted to orchestrating the scam and attempting to extract an extra Tk 10 lakh. The victim, upon realizing the fraud when no products were delivered, filed a complaint on September 14 under Sections 34/328/406/420 of the Penal Code at Turag Police Station.
Investigators discovered that the fraud ring targeted retired government officials by establishing fake offices and using disposable devices for each fraudulent act, which were destroyed post-operation to evade detection. CID noted that the primary suspect, Sanaj Saha, has 13 previous cases, while Mosharraf and Shahjahan face three and two cases respectively.
The Cyber Police Center (CPC) of CID is handling the investigation, with CID officials stating that they are continuing efforts to identify and apprehend other network members and reveal the full scope of their operations.