From friendly phone calls to blackmail

The group first collects phone numbers and professional details of noted people, especially men, from social-media platforms and websites.

Then a female member tries to get acquainted with the target by talking on the phone or through texting.

As per the plan, the member tries to convince the target to meet at a designated spot. If anyone shows interest, the gang takes the victim to a secluded place.

During that time, other group members, identifying themselves as police officials, take compromising pictures and videos and threaten to release in the media if the victim does not pay a certain amount.

Police's Detective Branch (DB) gave this information yesterday, following the arrest of two of the gang's masterminds on Wednesday.

The arrestees are Md Khokon Akanda and his partner Bilkis Begum.

Police arrested the duo from Savar, after a complaint was filed with Darussalam police station, Md Nazmul Hoque, additional deputy commissioner of DB, told The Daily Star yesterday.

In the complaint, the victim mentioned that Bilkis wanted to meet him, saying that she needs to file insurance for some of her relatives.

Once the victim agreed to meet, he and Bilkis went to Darussalam area on an auto-rickshaw. Once the vehicle reached a place near Gabtoli, two people forcefully got on, and Bilkis put her scarf on the victim's mouth.

They then took him to a dark room, beat him up, and snatched away Tk 35,000 cash and Tk 1 lakh more using his bank card. On top of that, the gang took a cheque worth Tk 4 lakh from the victim.

Nazmul said if anyone does not fall for their initial trap, the group abducts and tortures them for money.

"The gang has been doing this since 2018. They delete all evidence after getting money from victims," he said.

Asked about the number of victims, Nazmul said they have found proof that five people have fallen prey to the group in the last three months. "We are interrogating the arrestees to know more details."

A Dhaka court granted two-day police remand after police produced the duo before it yesterday.

"We are also trying to know whether the accused are wanted in any other case, as they continuously used to change their identity," added ADC Nazmul.