Dhaka:The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has arrested five individuals, including two women, for their alleged involvement in a 'honey-trap' gang. The arrests were announced by DB chief Additional Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam during a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the individuals arrested are Jit Bhakta alias Abdur Rahman, 38; Pritam Biswas alias Anik Sheikh, 30; Arthajit Bhakta alias Siddhartha, 20; Sabrin Kabir Prema alias Neha, 22; and Sadia Yasmin alias Mahi, 21. The gang reportedly blackmailed wealthy men by recording their intimate moments and threatening to release the footage on social media.
Police identified Jit Bhakta alias Abdur Rahman as the gang leader, with Pritam as his nephew and Sabrin as Pritam's wife. Shafiqul Islam noted that the DB had been investigating the gang after receiving complaints from four victims. The gang's frequent changes in residence and use of multiple social media accounts with false identities complicated the investigation.
The police were able to apprehend the suspects at a residential building in the Turag area through intelligence and technological means. During the operation, they recovered five mobile phones, three blank cheques, and equipment allegedly used for torture, including a torture belt.
The gang's female members reportedly used various identities to establish romantic relationships before luring their targets to specific locations. Once there, male gang members would hold the victims hostage, physically torture them, and record compromising content. The gang then extorted money by threatening to release the footage.
Despite receiving initial payments, the gang allegedly continued to extort victims by threatening further exposure. A case has been filed against the arrested individuals at Turag Police Station.