CID busts gambling syndicate, identifies 116 websites for ban

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police has sent a list to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to identify and block 116 websites involved in online gambling.

CID Chief Additional IGP Mosleh Uddin Ahmed disclosed the information while addressing a press conference at the CID headquarters in Malibagh in the capital today (17 May).

Addressing the press conference, Mosleh Uddin Ahmed said the CID's Cyber ​​Intelligence and Risk Management Unit has been conducting regular cyber monitoring activities to prevent online gambling. During the cyber patrol conducted from 1 May 1 to 17 May, the CID provided information on 116 websites to the BTRC to identify websites involved in gambling and take them down.

Earlier, the CID arrested a total of 8 members, including the mastermind, of an organised gang on charges of illegally collecting and smuggling crores of taka abroad by controlling and operating international and domestic online gambling sites.

CID says that this ring earns an illegal income of Tk1800,00 to Tk200,00 per day by operating an online gambling site. This gang used to smuggle money abroad through Honda and cryptocurrency. The gang has been smuggling money abroad by operating this gambling site for the last 6 months.

 The arrestees are: Md. Ashraf Uddin Ahmed,32, Sajeeb Chakraborty, 29, Md Ashraful Islam, 40, Md Jasim Uddin, 36, Taib Khan, 26, Soumik Saha, 28, Md Kamruzzaman, 36, Abdur Rahman, 47.

Mosleh Uddin Ahmed said, "This gang had been operating various international and domestic online gambling platforms for a long time. On these sites, gamblers used to transact money using mobile banking services - bKash, Rocket and Nagad, various bank accounts and crypto wallets. Later, the illegally acquired money was smuggled abroad through cryptocurrencies and digital hundi."

"This gang had been illegally transacting an estimated Tk180,00,000 to Tk2,00,00,000 every day in the past 6 months by alluring ordinary people to online gambling, and had been smuggling a large portion of it abroad," he added.

The CID Chief said, "During regular online surveillance, the Cyber ​​Monitoring Cell of CID's Cyber ​​Police Center found that some groups were illegally operating various international and domestic online gambling sites in Bangladesh. On these sites, gamblers were transacting money using mobile banking (BKash, Rocket, Nagad), bank accounts and crypto wallets. In this context, a case under the Cyber ​​Security Ordinance was filed at Paltan Model (DMP) Police Station."

Later, on 6 May, a CID team conducted raids in various areas of Mymensingh and Kishoreganj districts and arrested the gang's members- Md. Ashraf Uddin Ahmed, Sanjeev Chakraborty, Md. Ashraful Islam and Md. Jasim Uddin, he stated.

He said, "Based on the information of the arrested accused, four more members of the gang, Taib Khan (26), Soumik Saha (28), Md. Kamruzzaman (36) and Abdur Rahman (47), were arrested yesterday in a drive conducted in Palash Police Station area under Narsingdi district and Dhanmondi Police Station areas of the capital."

During the two operations conducted against this gang, the Cyber ​​Police Center (CPC) of the CID has seized a large number of digital devices and important evidence.