Three men have been arrested in Dhaka’s Uttara East area for allegedly posing as members of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and extorting money from a resident, according to police.
The arrests were made by Uttara East Police Station of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) after the alleged perpetrators reportedly threatened a flat owner with a fabricated claim that a criminal case had been filed against him. They allegedly demanded Tk 1 million in exchange for settling the supposed case.
The information was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday (3 October) by Md Akhtar Hossain, deputy commissioner of the DMP’s Media and Public Relations Division.
The arrested men have been identified as Md Russel Mahbub alias Masum, 42, Sohel Mirza, 41, and Md Sajib, 36.
According to police, the incident took place on Friday (2 October). At around 8am, Uttara East police received information through the national emergency service 999 and sent a patrol team to a flat on the 10th floor of a residential building on Road 3 in Sector 4.
Police said several men were inside the flat when officers arrived. The men allegedly introduced themselves as DGFI personnel and told the flat owner, Kayum Shahriar Jahedi, that he was facing a criminal case. They allegedly threatened him and subsequently demanded Tk 1 million, claiming that the money was needed to resolve the case.
Fearing the consequences, Jahedi reportedly handed over Tk 159,000 to them. However, after becoming suspicious of their activities, he contacted the 999 emergency service and sought police assistance.
Officers who arrived at the scene found a DGFI identity card in the possession of one of the men. The card raised suspicion, and the individuals were questioned about their identities and activities.
Police said the suspects admitted to using false DGFI identities to extort money. They were subsequently arrested in connection with the incident.
The authorities said they recovered a fake DGFI identity card, a Suzuki Gixxer motorcycle, Tk 159,000 in cash, a walkie-talkie and a pair of handcuffs from the suspects.
The use of the identity of a government or security agency can make alleged fraud particularly intimidating for victims, especially when threats of criminal proceedings or arrest are involved. In this case, the victim’s decision to contact the emergency service after becoming suspicious led police to the scene and resulted in the arrests, according to the authorities.
Police have filed a regular case at Uttara East Police Station over the incident. Legal procedures to produce the arrested men before a court were under way, the DMP said.
The allegations against the suspects will be subject to the legal process, while further proceedings in the case will determine the facts surrounding the alleged impersonation and extortion.
