No passport found with any of 63 foreigners arrested in Chattogram: Police

Police have informed that no passport was found with any of the 63 foreign citizens arrested in Chattogram on suspicion of involvement in online fraud. Police believe that the passports of all of them are deposited with one person and that person had rented the building for their stay.

Additional Commissioner Faisal Ahammed informed these details at a press conference at the Chattogram Metropolitan Police office on Friday afternoon.

He said the building in Krishnachura Residential Area of Khulshi from where the 63 foreigners were arrested belongs to an expatriate. The building was rented about one and a half months ago. There are at least 20 women among the arrested persons. Among them there are 34 citizens of Laos, 21 of Pakistan, five of China and one each of Vietnam and Nepal.

They were arrested in a joint drive of Khulshi police station and the Counter Terrorism Unit of city police on Thursday. At that time 134 mobile phones, 57 laptops and various equipment were seized from them. According to police, these equipment were used for online fraud work.

Police officer Faisal Ahammed said police believe that members of the fraud gangs have chosen Bangladesh as operations against online fraud have been intensified in various countries including China, Laos and Cambodia. There are more local and foreign associates with them and they are staying in various places of the country including Chattogram.

Cases have been filed under the Cyber Security Act against 62 of the arrested persons and they have been shown as arrested.

However, the police officer informed that specific information has not yet been obtained regarding exactly what type of online fraud they are involved in.

He said although no specific complaint was found against them initially, information about their activities on various types of websites has been obtained by examining the seized devices. These devices will be sent for forensic examination.

Police informed that the arrested persons had created various types of ‘digital labs’ in several flats of the building. Investigation is ongoing to know when and how they entered Bangladesh. Police have informed that detailed information on this matter will be available if their passports can be recovered.

Besides, it is also being examined whether there is any involvement of this gang with the foreign citizens arrested recently in Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar.