DB arrests four including three Chinese nationals, seizes 10,000 active SIMs

The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has arrested four individuals, including three Chinese nationals, from the Bashundhara Residential Area over allegations of illegal VoIP, online gambling and cyber fraud. Around 10,000 active SIM cards, technical equipment, foreign liquor and cash were seized during the operation.

DMP Additional Commissioner (DB) Md Shafiqul Islam briefed reporters at the DMP Media Centre on Mintu Road on Sunday (August 2). He said based on a tip-off, a team from DB's Cyber and Special Crime Division raided the fourth and fifth floors of a six-storey building in Bashundhara Residential Area on Saturday (August 1) night, leading to the arrests.

The arrestees are: Jharna Chakma Jiyana (27), and Chinese nationals Liu Hui Zhang (46), Wei Yuji (30) and She Yiran (42). The raid recovered 14 laptops, 16 smartphones, 20 GSM gateway devices, approximately 10,000 active SIM cards, 26 bottles of foreign liquor and Tk 2,09,700 in cash. Among the seized SIMs, around 4,000 were from Banglalink, police said.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Jharna Chakma had rented the entire building and sublet two floors to the Chinese nationals, where they were running illegal VoIP, online gambling and fraudulent activities using modern technology.

According to police, the syndicate sent SMS messages to people's mobile phones with enticing offers of work-from-home income, jobs or attractive deals. Clicking on the links in those messages would trap users in a scam, leading to theft of personal information and money.

Investigators said the group used specialised GSM gateway devices to evade law enforcement. One device could handle multiple SIM slots, allowing 12 SIMs to operate simultaneously. This made it difficult for authorities to quickly trace the IMEI numbers of the devices used, even if fraud complaints were filed.

Shafiqul Islam said preliminary findings suggest the syndicate had planned to siphon off around Tk 250 crore through online fraud. The recovered SIMs had been illegally collected from various traders. Investigation is ongoing to identify and bring to justice those involved in supplying the SIM cards and other syndicate members.

A case has been filed against the four arrestees at the concerned police station, and operations continue to identify others linked to the network.