Five Arrested in Dhaka Over Extortionate Honeytrap Blackmail Syndicate

The Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police has dismantled a highly organised blackmailing syndicate specialising in honeytrap operations. Five individuals were arrested following a series of coordinated raids across the capital, accused of luring unsuspecting citizens to private apartments, assaulting them, and filming compromising videos to extort substantial sums of money.

The details were disclosed on Monday, 6 July, during a press briefing held at the DMP Media and Public Relations Centre on Minto Road. Tariqul Islam, Deputy Commissioner of the DB-Cyber and Special Crime (South) Division, briefed journalists on the mechanics of the criminal enterprise. The arrested suspects have been identified as Mohammad Anwar Hossain, 45, Badiuzzaman Shahin, 45, Marium, 49, Shahadat Hossain, 58, and Urmi Begum, 39.

According to police intelligence, the group operated as a structured gang, exploiting interpersonal proximity to hold victims hostage. The suspects already face multiple outstanding criminal cases across various police stations in the country. Acting on actionable intelligence gathered during an ongoing investigation, detectives launched targeted raids on Friday and Saturday, sweeping through the Sabujbagh, Badda, and Khilgaon areas of Dhaka. The operations yielded the recovery of nine mobile phones, a walkie-talkie, and 4,000 Taka in cash, all believed to have been utilised in their illicit activities.

The investigation gained significant traction following a specific complaint by a loan disbursement officer working at a private financial institution. On 15 April, the officer visited a market in South Banasree, Rampura, for professional purposes. Whilst there, a woman approached him under the guise of being a prospective loan applicant and acquired his business card.

Over the subsequent days, the woman initiated frequent telephonic contact, gradually cultivating a closer relationship with the official. Eventually, she requested an in-person meeting in front of a hospital in Banasree. Upon arriving at the designated location, the victim was met by a different woman, who guided him onto a rickshaw. He was then driven through a maze of narrow alleyways before being led into an apartment within the jurisdiction of the Khilgaon Police Station.

According to the Detective Branch, shortly after the officer entered the flat, four men ambushed him. The gang subjected the official to physical assault before forcing him into a compromising position with a female accomplice to record indecent video footage. The syndicate then forcibly seized his mobile phone, wallet, cash, automated teller machine (ATM) cards, National Identity (NID) card, driving licence, and official motorcycle registration documents.

Following the initial robbery, the syndicate demanded a ransom of three Taka lakh. The terrified victim alleged that the criminals managed to siphon off a total of 1,10 Taka thousand from his bank account via Mobile Financial Services (MFS). The gang continuously blackmailed the official over the following weeks, threatening to circulate the compromising video footage across various social media platforms if additional payments were not made. Unable to cope with the relentless extortion, the victim filed a formal case at Khilgaon Police Station on 22 June.

“Our preliminary investigations indicate that this is not an isolated incident,” stated DB official Tariqul Islam. “We have uncovered digital evidence proving that multiple individuals were ensnared by this syndicate using identical entrapment tactics.” The five suspects have been remanded in police custody, as investigators widen their probe to identify further victims and potential accomplices linked to the network.