Man Arrested in Natore for Fraud Posing as PM's Additional Press Secretary's Staff
Natore district police have arrested a man named Abu Huraira Khaled on allegations of committing fraud through digital channels and extorting money by posing as a staff member of the Prime Minister's Additional Press Secretary's office. Superintendent of Police Mohammad Shariful Haque disclosed the information at a press briefing in front of the SP's office on Saturday afternoon.
The arrested man, Abu Huraira Khaled, is the son of Ziadul Islam of Balua-Basua village in Singra upazila of Natore. A Detective Branch team located him with the help of information technology and arrested him in a raid at Balua-Basua village under Singra Police Station.
The Superintendent of Police said Abu Huraira Khaled had long been introducing himself as office staff of the Prime Minister's Additional Press Secretary, Atikur Rahman Rumon. Using his personal mobile number, he contacted politically influential figures, government employees and other important persons through WhatsApp, bKash, Nagad, Rocket and other digital channels.
According to the allegations, using this false identity, he and his accomplice ring extorted large sums of money from various people with false promises of securing government facilities and arranging postings or nominations to political positions.
The matter eventually came to the attention of the Additional Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, Atikur Rahman Rumon. Afterwards, on the instructions of higher authorities, a skilled DB police team began tracing the accused's location and finally arrested him in a raid.
Police said a case has been filed against the arrested accused at Singra Police Station under sections of the Cyber Security Act 2023. The investigation into the case is ongoing.
Police further said the accused served as organising secretary of Singra municipal Chhatra League in Natore from 2016 to 2019, and worked as a technician at Bangladesh Betar Rangpur from 2018 to 2023.
He also faces previous cases on allegations of using fake IDs on social media and committing fraud. According to police, he has been jailed multiple times on fraud allegations.
Police operations are continuing to arrest the other accomplices of the fraud ring, the Superintendent of Police said. Efforts are under way to identify the remaining members of the ring and bring them under the law.
This incident of fraud using the identity of a high-ranking government official has once again brought the severity of digital fraud to the fore. According to police information, influential figures and government employees were targeted using WhatsApp and mobile banking channels.
Law enforcement agencies regularly advise caution against such identity-based fraud. Concerned officials stress verifying identity before sending money in response to tempting promises from unknown numbers.
Police hope the investigation will now reveal more members of the ring and a full list of the victims. The arrested accused will be produced before court as the legal process moves forward.
