Rab members also seized Tk 56200, five briefcases and 11 mobile phone sets raiding their residence-cum- office in DOHS.

Rab sources said members of the gang managed to remove around Tk 19 lakh before the raid.

One of the arrestees was identified as Babul while the identities of the rest could not be known immediately.

The brief cases were full of bricks wrapped in paper.

They use bricks so that people think the brief cases are full of money, Rab sources added.

"The gang having 15 to 20 members assures their targets of making huge profits in whatever business they are involved. Once the targets are convinced they take some amount in advance," said Major Hafiz of Rab-1 who led the operation.

"The gang also trapped foreign job seekers assuring them of sending abroad and thus made crores of taka," he added.

The Rab team conducted the raid following information from a man whom the gang assured of providing money for constructing a three-storey building in exchange for Tk 2.5 lakh in advance.

One Haji Jahangir Alam is the leader of the gang.

He was arrested a year back by Rab on charge of fraud, but released on bail later.