CID Busts Online Gambling Ring Over Tk 20 Million Daily Laundering Operation
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested eight members of an organized syndicate, including its alleged mastermind, for operating local and international online gambling platforms and illegally collecting nearly Tk 20 million daily before laundering the money abroad.
The arrested individuals are Md. Ashraf Uddin Ahmed (32), Sajib Chakraborty (29), Md. Ashraful Islam (40), Md. Jasim Uddin (36), Tayeb Khan (26), Soumik Saha (28), Md. Kamruzzaman (36), and Abdur Rahman (47).
According to CID officials, the syndicate had been active for the last six months, generating between Tk 18 million and Tk 20 million every day through online gambling operations. The money was later smuggled abroad through digital hundi networks and cryptocurrency transactions.
CID Chief and Additional Inspector General of Police Mosleh Uddin Ahmed disclosed the information at a press conference held on Sunday at the CID headquarters in Malibagh, Dhaka.
He said the group had long been operating various domestic and international online gambling platforms. Users were lured into gambling activities, while transactions were conducted using mobile financial services, bank accounts, and crypto wallets.
The activities came under scrutiny during routine online monitoring by the CID Cyber Police Center (CPC). Following the findings, a case was filed under the Cyber Security Ordinance at Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Paltan Model Police Station.
As part of the investigation, a CID team conducted raids in different areas of Mymensingh and Kishoreganj on May 6 and arrested four key members of the syndicate — Ashraf, Sajib, Ashraful, and Jasim.
Based on information obtained during interrogation, another operation was carried out on May 17 in Palash of Narsingdi and Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area, leading to the arrest of four more suspects — Tayeb, Soumik, Kamruzzaman, and Abdur Rahman.
During the raids, law enforcement officials seized 13 mobile phones, 20 SIM cards, and multiple courier receipts linked to the distribution of fake agent SIMs across the country, along with a large quantity of digital devices.
CID said the suspects initially admitted direct involvement in online gambling and digital hundi operations during interrogation.
Regarding the recovery of the laundered funds, Mosleh Uddin Ahmed said CID is now working in coordination with the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) and international law enforcement agencies.
He added that efforts are underway to identify the syndicate’s international network and associated cryptocurrency wallets through further interrogation of the suspects.
The CID chief also said that regular monitoring and operations by the Cyber Intelligence and Risk Management Unit against online gambling and related cybercrime activities will continue.
DBTech/RE/MI/OR
