Deepfake Deception: Two Remanded Over AI-Cloned Azhari Videos
A court has placed two accused on a three-day remand over allegations of creating “deepfake” videos by cloning the name, image, and voice of Islamic speaker Mizanur Rahman Azhari using artificial intelligence (AI) technology and using those videos to sell alleged sexual stimulant medicines.
On Friday, 15 May, Md. Siddiq Azad, Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka, granted the remand in a case filed under the Cyber Security Act at Paltan Police Station.
The two remanded accused are Md. Abdur Rahman Manik alias Rahat, 28, and Furkan Mia, 22. Earlier on Thursday, police from Paltan Model Police Station arrested them during raids conducted in different areas of Dhaka and Chattogram.
According to court sources, the investigation officer of the case, Sub-Inspector (SI) Samim Hasan of Paltan Police Station, produced the accused before the court and sought a seven-day remand. After the hearing, the court granted a three-day remand.
The case statement alleges that the accused operated multiple fake Facebook pages using AI-generated videos and advanced graphic design techniques. Through those pages and several e-commerce websites, including “Ash-Shifa Organic Dotcom,” they allegedly sold so-called sexual stimulant medicines. By exploiting the identity and popularity of Mizanur Rahman Azhari, they reportedly built an organised fraud network.
According to the allegations, on 15 February last year, while at Popular Diagnostic Centre in Shantinagar, Azhari noticed that false promotional campaigns were being conducted in his name across various Facebook IDs and websites. The videos reportedly used AI technology to replicate his voice and image almost identically, misleading ordinary people into purchasing low-quality medicines.
Later, on 25 February, a General Diary (GD) was filed at Paltan Model Police Station seeking action against the fake promotions. Azhari also warned his followers through his verified Facebook page. Subsequently, his office assistant Billal Hossain filed the case on 23 April.
Police said the group had been carrying out fraud across the country using deepfake technology and digital deception. They also reportedly paid for Facebook advertisements in US dollars. Investigations are ongoing to identify other members of the network, as well as the source of funds and transaction channels.
Earlier, on 5 May, another 10 people were arrested in connection with the same allegations. Among them, two were placed on a two-day remand, while the remaining eight were sent to jail by court order.
DBTech/PAO/EK/OR
