Law enforcement agencies in Chattogram have apprehended sixty-three foreign nationals in a major crackdown against a sprawling international cybercrime and fraud syndicate. The joint operation, executed by the Counter Terrorism Unit and local police, targeted an upscale residential building located in the affluent Khulshi district of the port city.
The raid unfolded late Thursday night after weeks of careful surveillance. According to details shared during a press briefing held on Friday at the media centre within the Dampara Police Commissioner’s office, the syndicate operated across multiple illicit fronts. Investigators revealed that the network specialised in digital fraud, automated teller machine skimming, online casino operations, narcotics and gold smuggling, and human trafficking networks.
The operation commenced around eleven o’clock on Thursday evening and extended past midnight. Officers descended upon the eighth floor of a building situated on Road Number 4 in the Krishnachura residential area under the Jalalabad neighbourhood of Khulshi. Although the vast majority of the collective was captured, the primary mastermind behind the enterprise managed to evade police custody and remains at large.
The arrested individuals comprise multiple nationalities who had gathered under a single roof to direct their cross-border operations. The demographic breakdown of the detained suspects highlights a coordinated foreign presence within the local hideout.
Police recovered a massive cache of electronic communication tools and identification documents from the premises during the hours-long search. Local residents noted that the building, owned by an expatriate living in Dubai, had been rented out roughly a month and a half prior. The occupants had blended into the neighbourhood by claiming to be university students, thereby avoiding premature suspicion while quietly establishing their digital command centre.
Investigators pointed out that the perpetrators relied heavily on online deception. They utilized social media channels, electronic mail, mobile networks, and fraudulent websites to lure unsuspecting victims into fabricated financial schemes. False promises ranged from high-paying overseas employment offers to lucrative digital investment returns designed to siphon funds through mobile financial services and local banking channels, often aided by domestic accomplices.
Following the arrests, formal criminal charges have been filed against the suspects at the Khulshi police station. Forensic specialists are currently examining the seized hardware to map out international connections, financial trails, and communication logs, while security agencies intensify efforts to track down the fugitive ringleader.
