Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested three individuals, including two Nigerians, on charges of defrauding over a hundred people by luring them with promises of profitable investments through Facebook.
RAB-1 conducted separate raids in Dhaka’s Bashundhara and Pallabi areas to apprehend them. The arrested Nigerians are Frank Coco and Emmanuel, while their local accomplice, a woman named Sweety Akter, was also detained.
From their possession, RAB seized two laptops, four iPhones, three smartphones, three “dumb” phones, one tablet, and one Orico-brand hard drive – all allegedly used in the fraudulent schemes.
Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Zahidul Karim, commanding officer of RAB-1, provided details at a press conference held at RAB Media Center in Karwan Bazar on Monday night.
He stated, “This gang collects personal information from citizens by offering fake investment opportunities. They then craft elaborate scams, swindling lakhs of taka. They are highly skilled in information technology.”
“They primarily use WhatsApp or Telegram for scams and also create traps through e-commerce websites,” he added.
The RAB-1 commander explained their modus operandi: “To gain trust, they pose as wealthy foreign nationals on Facebook, offering fake investment opportunities. They claim to have dollar packages stuck at airport cargo sections or demand clearance charges for expensive goods shipped from abroad.”
“In the first phase, they use photoshopped documents and certificates to win victims’ confidence. Later, they siphon off large sums of money.”
RAB revealed that Coco and Emmanuel have been running scams for nearly two years, while Sweety joined them three months ago. Coco had previously been arrested by RAB-10 two years ago but was released on bail.
Recent transaction records show nearly Tk18 lakh in cash and bKash transactions linked to the gang. Their bank accounts and other details are under investigation.
Lt Col Zahidul Karim noted that the visas of both foreigners had expired long ago, and one had their passport confiscated earlier. RAB is investigating why they were not deported despite this.
Authorities suspect the syndicate has defrauded over a hundred victims.