Fraud gang busted
12 foreigners, 2 others held for extorting money from people using social media
Rapid Action Battalion claimed to have busted a fraud gang and arrested its 14 members, including 12 foreigners, from different areas in the capital in the last two days.
Posing as citizens of the USA and European countries, the fraudsters used to communicate with people through social media and swindle them out of their money, said a press statement of Rab.
The criminals won the victims' trust by corresponding with them through Facebook, Viber and WhatsApp. At one stage, they offered gift from abroad.
Impersonating customs officials, the fraudsters later collect money from the victims as cost of customs clearance, read the statement.
After receiving complaints about the gang, a Rab team picked up Mamun Mokarram from the city's Uttara and Sultan Mahmud from Nikunja-2 areas on Thursday.
The Rab men gleaned information from the two; conducted raids in Uttara and Bashundhara areas, and rounded up the foreigners yesterday.
Of the 12 foreign nationals, eight are from Nigeria, three from Cameroon, and one from Congo. They could not show any valid travel documents, said Rab.
Law enforcers recovered mobile phones, laptops and several passports from their possession.