The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police today arrested three men from the capital's Pallabi area on charge of embezzling over Tk 6 crore from 1,427 people by scamming them using a multi-level marketing scheme.

"The fraudulent group had been running the MLM business by recruiting members with the temptation of paying 250 percent dividend, including capital. They targeted government employees and the relatively wealthy," Sheikh Md Rezaul Haider, an additional deputy inspector general of CID, told reporters at a press briefing at its headquarters today.

The CID received a complaint from some victims that Sopan Products Ltd (SPL) and Sopan Properties Ltd have been operating the MLM business for the last eight months.

Based on the allegations, a team of CID Dhaka Metro (North) conducted an operation at their office in Pallabi area and arrested the three, including Gazi Mohiuddin, 27, managing director of the company, also the ringleader of the scam.

The other two are directors of the company -- Anisur Rahman, 37, and Harunur Rashid, 37.

A computer, Tk 47,000 in cash and Tk 59,26,594 in different bank accounts were recovered from the arrestees.

The official said that this group set up its office in Mirpur DOHS area of ​​the capital to make their operation seem credible.

According to the information obtained from them, in the last six months, the racket has been collecting members and selling various packages through their website.

In the last six months, 1,427 people bought various packages from them.

"They lured people by saying that if one person can sell three others a Tk 1 lakh package, he would get 10 percent bonus with an additional Tk 10,000," the CID official said.

The packages include -- Tk 1,300 profit per day for Tk 1 lakh package, Tk 900 for Tk 67,500, Tk 300 for Tk 22,500, Tk 100 for Tk 7,500 and Tk 30 for Tk 2,500.

A case was filed with Pallabi Police Station today in this connection.