Dhaka: Detective Branch (DB) members have arrested eight individuals involved in a Telegram-based fraud syndicate, comprising five Chinese nationals, during separate raids conducted in the capital’s Bashundhara and Uttara West areas. The arrestees include Chen Ling Feng, Zeng Kong, Zeng Changqiang, Wen Jian Qiu, Huang Zheng Jiang, Mohammad Zakaria (26), Niaz Masum (20), and Kamrul Hasan alias Hasan Joy (38).

According to United News of Bangladesh, during these operations, the DB police confiscated 51,251 SIM cards from different mobile operators, 51 mobile phones, and equipment related to 21 VoIP gateways. Deputy Commissioner Hasan Mohammad Naser Rikabdar of the DB’s Cyber and Special Crime (North) Division shared these details at a press briefing held at the DMP Media Centre.

The Web-Based Crime Investigation Team of the DB Cyber and Special Crime (North) Division uncovered the syndicate while investigating allegations of online job scams, financial fraud via Telegram groups, and other cybercrimes. Following this investigation, the DB members executed a raid in the Bashundhara Residential Area on Thursday, resulting in the arrest of Niaz Masum and Kamrul Hasan Joy.

From these individuals, police retrieved 14 VoIP gateway devices used in online fraud activities, 51,067 SIM cards from various operators, four mobile phones, two CPUs, and a laptop. Subsequently, police gathered information about similar fraudulent networks operating elsewhere in the capital.

Acting on this intelligence, the DB conducted another operation on Monday in Sector 9 of the Uttara West Police Station area, arresting six people, including the five foreign nationals. During this operation, authorities seized seven illegal VoIP gateway devices, 47 mobile phones, 184 SIM cards, and five laptops.

DB cyber officials reported that the arrestees employed various methods to deceive individuals, such as offering fake job opportunities, promising high returns on investments, and advertising essential goods at unusually low prices. Among those detained, Niaz Masum and Kamrul Hasan Joy have already been sent to court, while legal proceedings against the others are ongoing.