9 held over biometric SIM fraud

The District Detective Branch (DB) has arrested nine members of a SIM replacement and money laundering ring in Bagerhat for misusing customers’ biometric information.

Superintendent of Police Md Jamirul Islam disclosed the information at a press briefing held at the conference room of the Bagerhat SP’s office at 11am on Tuesday.

Police said that on the morning of June 27, the fraudsters withdrew Tk 2,50,868 from three SIM cards through electronic transactions. A case was filed at Mongla Police Station in this connection, and two people were arrested. Later, seven more people were arrested during the investigation.

Police recovered 11 mobile phones and Tk 80,740 allegedly stolen through bKash fraud from their possession.

According to police, the fraudsters stored customers’ fingerprints, captured fingerprint images displayed on screens through screen recording, extracted the visible fingerprint patterns, reproduced the digital patterns.

and artificially created and used fingerprints to replace SIM cards. They then transferred customers’ funds through mobile financial services (MFS) accounts linked to the replacement SIMs.

The arrested individuals are Yasin Sawdagar, 21, Md Shamim Mekh, 27, Rashed Morol, 20, Ehsanul Hasan Rakib, 32, Ferdaus, 21, Ashraful Islam, 26, Mehedi Hasan, 29, Md Nazmul Hasan, 20, and Md Mamun Gazi, 21.

Police said the arrested individuals had previously been involved in extorting money through similar frauds.

Four of the arrested individuals have been sent to jail, while preparations are underway to produce the other five before the court.

The police operation is continuing to arrest other members allegedly involved in the gang.