Two arrested over biometric SIM fraud

Fraudsters registered illicit SIM cards by exploiting biometric fingerprint verification multiple times to operate unauthorized mobile financial service (MFS) accounts for financial cybercrimes, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) revealed. The technical syndicate surfaced during an investigation into the theft of BDT 341,000 from a doctor's credit card. The findings were disclosed in a press release on Thursday, 20 August 2026.

The arrestees were identified as Shahinur Rahman Shahin (50), a former mobile operator supervisor and ringleader, and Sanjoy Gupta (31), a former brand promoter of the same operator. A team from the CID Jashore District Unit arrested them from Kotwali Police Station area in Dinajpur on the afternoon of 19 August.

CID Special Superintendent of Police (Media) Jasim Uddin Khan stated that Shahinur collected multiple fingerprint impressions from genuine customers through brand promoters. While delivering one SIM to the actual subscriber, the extra pre-activated SIMs were diverted. The gang opened bKash and other MFS accounts with these SIMs and distributed them across the country via couriers to execute credit card scams and digital fund diversions.

According to the case statement, a Jashore physician faced a delayed POS transaction while using a credit card at an outlet on 21 December 2022. On 31 December, an imposter posing as a bank official called the doctor claiming the card was suspended and acquired sensitive credentials under the pretext of reactivation. The perpetrators subsequently siphoned off BDT 341,000 across seven transactions into six illicit MFS accounts that night.

CID stated that technological tracking and confessional statements recorded under Section 164 from previously arrested suspects confirmed the involvement of Shahinur and Sanjoy. Both admitted their roles during initial interrogation and were produced before the court with remand petitions pending.
//DBTech/DPO/MIS//