Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-5) has arrested eight digital fraudsters, including mastermind Zakir Hossain Howladar, who were involved in fraud through various credit cards, debit cards and mobile banking in the name of paying education stipend. They were arrested from Dhaka, Jamalpur, Rajshahi, Narayanganj, Cumilla and Faridpur in a joint operation of RAB-5, 4, 8, 10, 11 and 14.
SIM card sellers of a mobile operator company are also involved in the cycle. They open mobile banking accounts fraudulently by collecting SIM registered SIMs or sold SIMs in other’s name.
SIMs registered with NIDs and fingerprints collected from various people are being collected for 500 to 2 thousand taka and used for fraud. Fraud money is distributed among the members of the original circle. Agents are paid fixed amount for commission and working expenses.
RAB-5 captain (CO) Lt. Colonel Md. Munim Ferdous informed the matter in a press conference organized at Karwan Bazar RAB media center on Monday, April 22 in the afternoon.
According to RAB-5, on the morning of March 24, the personal mobile number of a person (plaintiff) working in the accountancy branch of the victim’s daughter’s educational institution was received from an anonymous mobile number in Shalbagan area of the city. Introducing himself as Mizanur Rahman, he said that his daughter got a golden A-plus in the SSC examination and got 22 thousand 500 taka as education stipend. He asked to give the 16-digit number of a bank’s ATM card so that the money would go to the plaintiff’s account. He gave his 16-digit ATM card number in good faith.
At that time, he was informed that an OTP number will be sent to his mobile phone. It should be given to him. However, after doing so, the money was not deposited, on the contrary, the plaintiff went to the SMS option of his mobile phone and found that 1 lakh 50 thousand 500 taka was withdrawn from his account four times through fraud.
In this incident, the plaintiff filed a case at Boalia Model Police Station of the metropolis accusing unknown persons. Then RAB-5 started investigating the case.
They raided the Rajpara area of Rajshahi metropolis and arrested Shamim Hossain (29), who was involved in fraud through credit card and mobile banking on the pretext of paying education stipend. Shamim is a resident of Tangail district. Based on the information provided by the arrested Shamim, members of RAB-5 conducted a raid at a house in the Ashulia police station area of the capital Dhaka. They recovered several mobile phones with SIM cards of different mobile companies from there.
During interrogation, Shamim said that Mohammad Jihad (34), son of deceased Zainuddin of Faridpur, a member of the fraud circle, is currently staying in Jamalpur. Later, Jihad was arrested from Jamalpur Sadar police station along with a large quantity of SIM cards.
During the interrogation, he said that Kazi Saddam Hossain alias Amir Hamza (26), son of Kazi Tajul Islam of Cumilla, a member of this gang, collected various anonymously registered SIM cards from arrested Jihad and Shamim. Later, Amir Hamza was arrested from Homna police station area of Cumilla.
Based on the information given by him, Ahad Gazi (24), son of Abdul Gazi of Gopalganj, engaged in SIM card trading of a mobile operator company, was arrested from Narayanganj. According to the information given by the detained Jihad and Shamim, Firoz Rahman alias Joy (26), son of Zainal Fakir of Faridpur, was arrested from Kafrul Thana area of Dhaka. According to the information given by the arrested Mustafizur, Bappi Molla (20) was arrested from Bhanga Thana area of Faridpur.
He is the son of Khokon Molla of Faridpur. And based on the information given by them, Zakir Hossain Howlader (47) son of Delwar Howlader of Faridpur and Usman Gani Molla (33) son of Ebadat Molla were arrested from Bhanga police station area of Faridpur. Among them, Zakir Hossain Hawladar is the mastermind of this fraud circle.
RAB-5 CEO Lieutenant Colonel Munim Ferdous said that a total of 23 mobile phones, 310 SIM cards, cash of Tk 3 lakh 1 thousand 270 and 9 bank transaction slips were recovered from the detainees.
In this incident, a case has been filed in Keraniganj of Dhaka, Demra police station of DMP, Ashulia police station of Dhaka, Cantonment police station of DMP. And after the interrogation, the RAB official also said that legal action against the detainees is under process.