The Chattogram police have said a software operation suspected to be linked to online scams, gambling and other fraudulent activities was being run from a single room inside an eight-storey building in Chattogram’s Khulshi, where 63 foreign nationals were arrested during a raid.
None of those arrested had passports or visas, while police seized dozens of laptops, mobile phones and other electronic devices.
Speaking to The Business Standard, Khulshi Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Abdur Rahim said the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police and Khulshi police conducted the raid at the building on Road 4 of Krishnachura Residential Area from around 3pm on Thursday. The operation continued until around 11:30am yesterday (11 September),
According to the OC, during the preliminary investigation, police learned that the software and online activities being conducted across the building were monitored from a single room. However, investigators have yet to determine which room was used as the control centre or which device was used to operate the activities.
A specialist team is analysing the seized devices and software to identify how the operation was controlled and determine the nature of the activities.
The foreigners had rented the eight-storey building for one year by paying around Tk1 crore in advance. Electronic devices were found in all the rooms, although police have not yet established which room was used to monitor the operation.
When the suspects noticed the police presence at the beginning of the raid, they allegedly threw at least three laptops and several mobile phones from the rear of the building. Police later recovered the devices from a nearby jungle.
Investigators suspect the discarded devices could contain important information about the activities conducted from the building.
The laptops were of different brands and contained software that was not in English. Police found people from the same country sitting together and operating the software in their respective languages.
Police said the foreigners did not enter Bangladesh together. They arrived separately from different countries and gradually gathered at the building after June.
The preliminary investigation indicates that the group was involved in online gambling, scams, financial fraud, embezzlement, unauthorised electronic transactions and schemes promising high returns on small investments.
Police also found that some of the arrested foreigners had previously stayed in rented houses in different parts of Bangladesh and allegedly used digital platforms and websites for online fraud and other criminal activities.
During the raid, police seized 134 mobile phones, 57 laptops, an Apple tablet, a CPU, a Samsung monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, a printer, five pen drives, four SIM cards, three Pakistani national identity cards and a Cambodian employment card.
Police said officers had been monitoring the building for several days. When they rang the doorbell at the beginning of the operation, no one responded from inside. Officers then broke open the door and entered, finding the suspects using electronic devices.
Investigators suspect that some information may have been deleted during the time it took police to enter the building. A specialist team is working to recover the deleted data.
Police are also investigating whether the detention of foreign nationals in Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram is connected to the activities uncovered in Khulshi.
According to police, proper procedures were not followed when the building was rented to such a large number of foreign nationals. Local authorities were also not informed that such a large group of foreigners was staying there.
A case has been filed with Khulshi Police Station under the Cyber Security Act, with police as the complainant. Sub-Inspector (Unarmed) Rezaul Karim filed the case yesterday.
The case accuses the 63 arrestees of allegedly acting in collusion to carry out organised financial fraud and forgery using information technology, illegally misappropriating money through digital means, conducting unauthorised e-transactions and facilitating cybercrime through computers and digital systems.
According to the case documents, the 63 arrested foreign nationals include 35 citizens of Laos, 21 from Pakistan, five from China, and one each from Nepal and Vietnam.
The Lao nationals have been identified as Tien, 26; Mani Van, 28; Keo, 26; Tuk, 25; Simone Kham, 29; Dao, 26; Miko, 23; Ali, 22; Sakon, 34; Khon Chai, 36; Boon Mi, 22; Toyo, 27; Suksakhon, 20; Sulisa, 20; Manivan Chanthaphone, 25; Phuang, 25; Mai, 24; Boonthavi, 30; Kiomani, 31; Siampai, 27; Ni, 27; Noksannivath Bualienphai, 29; Sufaphone Vong Sai Vath, 26; Thilakone Phoun Sa Vath, 28; Iling Thor, 25; Somchit Sayavong, 23; Phaimani Sisombuth, 30; Phetsamguan Keota, 36; Silifong Inthavong, 25; Thongjua Chanthavong, 25; Saikath Buavan, 38; Sivilai, 35; Misai Vonghalath, 36; Bilaiphone Luanglath, 34; and Somphouvan Phomphithak, 36.
The 21 Pakistani nationals are Ahsan Sabir, 27; Mohammad Rizwan, 29; Mohammad Talha, 23; Mohammad Usman, 22; Mohammad Ramzan, 25; Mohammad Khan, 29; Navid Khan, 30; Farhan Ullah, 25; Rehan Ali, 25; Fahad Jamil, 32; Khizar Farooq, 30; Zainal-ul-Abedin, 23; Ali Ahmed, 23; Amir Zaman, 30; Amjad, 25; Gohar, 26; Hammad, 23; Huzaifa Khan, 24; Shahzad Khan, 30; Sonia, 32; and Mariam, 28.
The Chinese nationals are Liu Guang Shu, 38; Zhang Qin, 27; Yang Yong Biao, 25; Liu Qiang, 36; and Yang Zhong Hai, 35. The others are Saroj, 26, a Nepali national, and Thuong Thi Dang, 31, a Vietnamese national.
During preliminary interrogation, police learned that the group had allegedly been operating online-based cybercrime activities from the rented residence for an extended period. Local and foreign associates allegedly provided logistical support, while the passports of some of the arrested foreigners were reportedly kept by their associates.
The 63 foreign nationals were sent to jail through a court yesterday. Police said they would seek remand to question them and establish the extent of the alleged online fraud network, their activities in Bangladesh and whether any local people were involved.
Police have also launched further operations to identify and arrest other suspects who remain at large.
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