3 arrestees, who abused beauty vlogger, blackmailed several victims over 2 years

The three persons, who were arrested over holding transgender beauty vlogger Saad Mua captive and abusing her, have been extorting money from people through blackmail for about two years.

They used to befriend people on social media, invite them over to their rented apartment, and eventually blackmail them by taking "compromising" photos and videos.

During the process, they used to pose as members of armed forces or law enforcers.

Khandaker Al Moin, Rab's legal and media wing director, shared the information at a press conference after arresting the three accused from Dhaka's Farmgate and Mohakhali areas.

The arrestees are: Fuad Amin Ishtiaque (21), Saima Sikder Nira alias RJ Nira (23), and Abdullah Afif Sadman (19).

Rab claimed to have recovered a walkie-talkie and a toy pistol they used to impersonate law enforcers.

Briefing reporters, the Rab director said the arrestees are members of an organised criminal gang. Ishtiaque is the ringleader while two others are his accomplices.

"They have been targeting people from different walks of life for two years. They tortured them and extorted money -- threatening to leak their photos and videos, they captured, on social media," he said.

During primary interrogation, the arrestees told Rab that Sadman got introduced with the victim Sayed bin Rabbi Shanto, better known as Saad Mua, through social media and met her at a restaurant near a private university in Bashundhara area on January 10.  

He took Saad to a rented house where the trio beat her up, sexually abused her and recorded video. They snatched a mobile phone, gold ornaments and cash from the victim and demanded Tk 1 lakh more -- threatening to implicate her in a case, Moin said.

Identifying themselves as law enforcers and army members, they also threatened to hand her over to local police.  

Ishtiaque was sued in at least two other cases.

Following the incident, Saad, a popular vlogger for her videos on beauty care, including makeup tutorials, filed a case with Bhatara Police Station on Friday.

Saad also posted the photos of the two accused and narrated her ordeal on her Facebook page.