The Chattogram District Police have unearthed a sophisticated, three-tier extortion network operating in the region. This revelation follows the remand interrogation of top terrorist Mobarak Hossain Imon, alias David Imon, and the subsequent arrest of seven of his associates.
Police officials say the gang’s systematic operations directly mirror a recent incident where a local physician was targeted for a Tk10 lakh extortion demand.
According to Chattogram District Superintendent of Police (SP) Masud Alam, the criminal network operates through three distinct layers designed to ensure that field-level operatives are kept at the forefront while the main kingpins remain completely hidden in the background.
Under this system, Tier 1 members are tasked with identifying wealthy targets – such as businessmen, physicians, or affluent individuals – and gathering comprehensive intelligence on their financial status, businesses, families, and daily movements.
In Tier 2, this gathered information is utilised to demand specific sums of money, typically placed through foreign phone numbers.
David Imon and Rayhan have been identified as the primary figures responsible for regularly calling and demanding extortion money from various individuals and organisations across Chattogram.
If the target refuses to pay, Tier 3 operatives step in to orchestrate intimidation campaigns, physical assaults, or shootings.
Key investigations and arrests
Following intelligence operations and information technology analysis, police conducted raids across Bayezid Bostami and Hathazari, arresting seven gang associates on Monday night.
Among those arrested are Sagar and Shakil, who police say functioned across both the first and third tiers of the network, gathering intelligence and executing threats on behalf of crime bosses Boro Sajjad, Rayhan, and David Imon.
The physical evidence gathered from the suspects’ mobile phones has provided crucial insights into several high-profile extortion cases.
In one written complaint, a local physician detailed how he was initially asked to pay Tk10 lakh, which was subsequently raised to Tk20 lakh via a call from a foreign number. The caller threatened that a gang member would pose as a patient to shoot him dead inside his chamber, boasting that even a security detail of 100 police officers would fail to protect him.
In another case registered under a General Diary (GD) on 3 September, Mahfuza Khanam Runa, the wife of businessman Maksudur Rahman, reported that her husband had received multiple extortion calls from individuals claiming to represent David Imon, Rayhan, and Boro Sajjad.
The extortionists sent a photograph of the couple’s son, demanding Tk20 lakh and threatening to abduct their children from the streets and harm their family if the payment was not made.
Financial pipelines and heavy weaponry
David Imon and three of his accomplices were arrested by police on 29 July whilst attempting to flee to India via the Jessore border. Police investigations during his remand revealed that the network generated an average monthly extortion revenue of approximately Tk1 crore.
This money was collected in cash and laundered abroad via hundi channels. Approximately Tk 50 lakh of the monthly collection was funnelled directly to Boro Sajjad, whilst Tk 15 lakh was allocated for operational expenses, and the remainder was retained by Imon.
Law enforcement agencies estimate that Boro Sajjad commands an active force of at least 50 shooters and associates. The gang’s intimidation tactics range from motorcycle-riding gunmen firing at targets to public assaults by armed groups of 20 to 30 men.
On 11 July, an enterprise owner received a demand under David Imon’s name from a foreign number, ordering a lump-sum payment of Tk2 crore and a monthly subscription of Tk10 lakh within two days.
On 13 July, an armed group of 30 to 40 men attacked and vandalised the offices of DDN, looting approximately Tk35 lakh. Police have since arrested eight individuals in connection with the raid.
The network is also linked to two separate shootings targeting the Chandanpura residence of Mujibur Rahman, the businessman and Managing Director of the Smart Group.
The property was fired upon on 2 January and again on 28 February, with the latter attack occurring despite the presence of a police guard.
Investigations revealed that the second shooting involved heavy weaponry, including an SMG, a China rifle, two foreign pistols, and a shotgun.
Whilst domestic arms have been seized based on information provided by David Imon, the heavier weapons remain unrecovered. SP Masud Alam noted that police plan to interrogate the seven newly arrested suspects to trace these military-grade arms.
Consequently, the scope of police investigations in Chattogram has expanded beyond simply asking “who demanded the money.” It now actively addresses critical questions regarding who is supplying the weapons, where they are being stored, and who executes the shootings.
With the arrest of the seven associates, police are focused on uncovering the entire framework: who gathered intelligence, who demanded extortion, who collected the money, who participated in the attacks, and under whose control the heavy weapons remain.
Operations, however, may be hindered by suspected terrorist hideouts located in the rugged, remote hilly terrains of Rangunia, South Rangunia, Raozan, and Fatikchhari.
Distinguishing turf wars from extortion
Chattogram police clarified that not all recent acts of violence in the division are linked to this specific extortion syndicate.
For instance, the murder of Jubo Dal activist Mohammad Karim, who was hacked and shot dead in the Keranirhat area of Raozan’s Urkirchar Union on the night of 3 September, is believed to stem from local disputes over drug-trade sharing and a motorcycle theft.
Karim himself faced several pending cases involving drugs, rape, theft, and mugging. SP Masud Alam warned that conflating isolated criminal acts with organised extortion networks risks obscuring the accuracy of police investigations.
Nonetheless, the overall security situation in North Chattogram remains highly volatile. Raozan alone has recorded 27 killings since 5 August 2024, with law enforcement sources attributing 20 of these deaths to political rivalries.
The same period saw over 100 shootouts and clashes, resulting in more than 350 injuries.
With top gang figures like David Imon, Golakata Mobarak, and Dhama Elias now in custody, police are focused on capturing the fugitive Rayhan.
The unearthing of this three-tier structure demonstrates that modern regional extortion has transitioned from simple telephonic threats into a highly organised apparatus spanning intelligence gathering, international financial flows, arms trafficking, and structured units of trained shooters.
