FBI arrests Bangladeshi accused of running international child exploitation ring

A Bangladeshi national who had been wanted since 2022 on various charges, including operating an international child sexual exploitation enterprise, has been arrested and transferred to the United States, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.

In a post on his official X account today (6 March), Patel said the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with its partners, arrested Zobaidul Amin, 28, who had been on the run for several years.

He could face 20 years to life imprisonment if convicted, according to a US Justice Department statement.

"As of last night, Amin was transferred by FBI Anchorage from Malaysia back to the US in Alaska, where he will face charges later today," Patel wrote, adding that further details about the case would be released later.

He thanked the FBI's Legal Attaché office in Kuala Lumpur, the government of Malaysia, and local partners for their assistance in the investigation and arrest.

Patel also acknowledged the role of the FBI Anchorage, praising the team for its work on the case.

Meanwhile, a press release published yesterday (5 March) on the website of the US Department of Justice said a Bangladeshi national accused of operating an international child sexual exploitation ring was scheduled to appear before the US District Court for the District of Alaska.

"Yesterday's return from Malaysia of a Bangladeshi national who allegedly abused and sexually exploited hundreds of minor victims worldwide is another successful example of the Administration's increased efforts to find criminals hiding abroad," US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in the statement.

"Together with our international partners and the State Department, we are countering online child sexual exploitation, protecting our most vulnerable, and bringing these sick abusers to face justice on American soil," she added.

Zobaidul lived in Malaysia, where he was attending medical school, before the charges were brought against him in the United States.

In July 2022, a federal grand jury in the US indicted him on multiple charges related to the alleged exploitation of hundreds of children in Alaska, other parts of the United States, and abroad.

Prosecutors say Zobaidul used social media platforms to target minors and coerce them into producing sexually explicit images and videos.

In September 2022, Malaysia's Attorney General's Chambers charged him with 13 counts related to the possession and production of child pornography.

He was later transferred from Malaysia to Alaska on 4 March to face the charges in a US court.