11 arrested for embezzlement via MLM: Rab

Rapid Action Battalion today arrested 11 people on charges of embezzling millions of taka from hundreds of customers through an "MLM" business operating in guise of an NGO.

The gang have been embezzling huge amounts of money from people in the name of multi-level marketing (MLM) business under the banner of an organisation called "Global Human Rights and Environment Development Society", Rab-1 Commanding Officer Lt Col Abdullah Al Momen told reporters at Rab Media Centre in Karwan Bazar.

They targeted lower-middle-income people and offered them jobs with a salary ranging from Tk 10,000 to Tk 1,25,000 per month. And in the name of giving jobs, they took Tk 20,000 to Tk 30,000 per person, he said.

After Rab received complaints in this regard, a team of Rab-1 raided the organisation's office in Badda and arrested 11 people, including the mastermind Abdul Quader (44).

Other arrestees are Mirza Nasir Uddin (25), Mahfuzur Rahman (50), AR Abdul Momen (49), Mehdi Hasan (25), Amjad Hossain (34), Manjurul Hasan Khan (35), Abdul Barik (38), Ruhul Amin (25) Munni (30), Nilufer Islam Nipa (34).

Four computers, four laptops, 17 mobiles, Tk 97,380 in cash and a large number of chequebooks, vouchers, contracts, writing pads, and seals of various banks were seized during the raid.

Abdul Quader founded the organisation in 2020. Later, he expanded his business under the cover of "MLM" business, said the Rab official.

After paying Tk 30,000 to become a donor member, they were promised that their salary would be Tk 10,000 per month. Their mission was to uncover incidents of child marriage in the region, he said.

If a poor family could not afford to marry off their girl and sand was removed from the river illegally, they were supposed to notify the organisation's administrators, the commanding officer said.

The donor members were used to collect new donors for the organisation, he added.