Staff Reporter :
A man accused of running a fraud ring that allegedly swindled more than Tk 12 million from people seeking jobs in Russia, was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police.
In a statement on Thursday, the CID said officers detained the suspect, identified by a single name as Abdullah, 45, in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area.
He is described by investigators as the “mastermind” of an organised gang that had been operating without an office, travel licence or any form of authorisation.
According to the CID’s preliminary findings, the group targeted people across different districts, enticing them with promises of high-paying jobs abroad. Officers say the gang collected passports, photographs and other documents from 28 jobseekers on the pretext of arranging work for them in Russia.
Between Mar 2 and Jul 8, 2025, the suspects allegedly took Tk 1.2 million through bank transfers and a further Tk 1.6 million in cash from the victims.
The applicants were later given what appeared to be Russian visas and airline tickets, but the documents were found to be fake when checked online two days later.
The CID said that when victims asked for their money back, the gang stalled by “making various excuses” and then issued threats. One of the victims filed a case at Banani Police Station on Nov 10. Abdullah has been arrested in connection with that case, and police say efforts are under way to detain the other suspects.
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