Earning crores by breaching govt system
It only costs Tk 2,000 to get the username and password of an administrator of the Surokkha website/app, which is used to register for Covid jabs and verify vaccination status.
Using the information, a gang has been changing vaccination details of any person in exchange for money, regardless of whether that person has taken the vaccine or not.
For the service, the gang charges only Tk 300 to 400.
Besides, the group, with support of a contractual employee of National Identity Registration Wing, also would change names and provide new NIDs within days, only for Tk 100.
Through the process, these criminals have embezzled crores.
In the last six months, the gang members have made transactions amounting to Tk 1.3 crore, bank statements show.
The gang would post advertisements on social media and messaging apps about providing NIDs, birth certificates, and Covid-19 certificates within a day. In the advertisement, they mentioned that they are capable of changing the name on birth certificates issued from any union parishad across the country for Tk 600.
The Cyber and Special Crime Division of police's Detective Branch (DB) disclosed the information to The Daily Star recently, following the arrest of four gang members, including the contractual employee of the national identity wing.
The arrestees are Md Sanowar Kabir, the employee; Ekram Hossain (20) and Jahidul Islam (19), both HSC students; and Md Abbas Uddin (28), a madrasa student.
While monitoring its online criminal activities, detectives traced the gang and arrested its members from Dhaka, Sunamganj, and Mymensingh during a three-day special drive, which started on October 6, Junaid Alam Sharker, additional deputy commissioner of DB, told The Daily Star.
Analysing last six months' bank statements, detectives found transactions amounting to Tk 32.41 lakh in Ekram's account, Tk 39.43 lakh in Jahidul's, Tk 57.80 lakh in Abbas', and Tk 5.13 lakh in Sanowar's.
Detectives said the gang would post advertisements on social media and messaging apps about providing NIDs, birth certificates, and Covid-19 certificates within a day.
In the advertisement, the gang used to mention that it is capable of changing the name on birth certificates issued from any union parishad across the country for only Tk 600.
Sanowar's job was to provide individuals' information after going through the NID server. He used to charge only Tk 15 for an individual's details, say investigators.
Ekram, who could access the Surokkha server, was responsible for changing and updating people's vaccination status. Jahidul used to collect information from Sanowar and provide it to Ekram for modifying vaccine details.
Abbas is responsible for providing certificates after collecting payment, investigators added.
ADC Junaid said they are now working to trace another gang member.
The arrestees have been involved in these activities for the last two years, he said. "We are trying to ascertain how much money they embezzled so far."
Generally, an individual has to file a general diary and pay Tk 200 government-fee to get a copy of a lost NID card legally, but the gang provides it for just Tk 100, he mentioned.
"We are now checking how a gang member got an admin's username and password for a government site like Surokkha. We are also looking into whether any health directorate or NID official is linked with the gang," said ADC Junaid.
Contacted, NM Zeaul Alam, senior secretary of the information and communication technology division, yesterday told The Daily Star, "We have learned about this matter. We have provided a bunch of admin usernames and passwords to officials of the health directorate for investigation."
"We are investigating the matter. Everything will be cleared after the investigation ends," said Zeaul, whose division made the Surokkha app.
Comments