The Pabna District Police Intelligence Branch (DB) arrested two members of an organized fraud ring on Friday night for allegedly extorting money while posing as DB officers. A local court sent both men to jail on Saturday.
The suspects are Sujan Hossain, 34, from the Gangkola Singa Palpara area of Pabna Sadar Upazila, and Ariful Islam, 40, from Shibrampur in Pabna Municipality.
DB Officer-in-Charge (OC) Rashidul Islam confirmed the arrests, stating the suspects targeted victims by phone, threatened them using fake law enforcement identities, and extorted large sums of money via bKash.
Following multiple complaints and a confidential tip-off, police used digital tracking to conduct targeted raids, apprehending Sujan in Gangkola and Ariful in Shibrampur. Officers seized five mobile phones during the operations, which initial investigations confirm were used to carry out the scam.
OC Rashidul added that accomplices supplied the gang with SIM cards registered under fake names and used bKash agent numbers to launder the extorted funds. The syndicate has reportedly been defrauding residents using this tactic for an extended period.
A criminal case has been filed at the Pabna Sadar Police Station against the two arrested men, along with two identified accomplices and up to three unidentified suspects.
