Three Chinese among four arrested with 10,000 SIMs

Detectives have arrested four individuals, including three Chinese nationals, in Dhaka’s Bashundhara Residential Area over allegations of illegal VoIP operations and online fraud, seizing around 10,000 active SIM cards and a large cache of equipment.

The operation was conducted by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Saturday night, officials said at a press briefing held at the DMP Media Centre on Minto Road on Sunday.

Additional Commissioner (DB) Shafiqul Islam said the suspects were operating an organised network using advanced technology to run illegal VoIP services, online gambling, and fraudulent activities.

The arrested individuals were identified as Jharna Chakma Jiana, 27, and three Chinese nationals—Liu Hui Zhang, 46; Wei Yuji, 30; and Xie Yi Ran, 42.

During the raid, police recovered 14 laptops, 16 smartphones, 20 GSM gateway devices, 26 bottles of foreign liquor, Tk 209,700 in cash, and nearly 10,000 active SIM cards. Of these, around 4,000 SIMs were reportedly from a single mobile operator.

According to investigators, Jharna Chakma rented the entire six-storey building and sublet two floors to the Chinese nationals, who operated the illegal activities from there.

Police said the group sent SMS messages offering lucrative jobs, extra income opportunities, or special deals to lure victims. Clicking on links embedded in the messages would lead users into fraudulent schemes.

To evade detection, the network used devices capable of running multiple SIM cards simultaneously, with external slots allowing up to 12 SIMs to operate at once. This made it difficult for authorities to quickly trace IMEI numbers despite complaints from victims.

Preliminary investigations suggest the group had planned to fraudulently obtain around Tk 250 crore through their operations, Shafiqul Islam said.

He added that the large number of SIM cards had been illegally collected from various vendors, and efforts are underway to identify and bring those involved in the незаконной trade under the law.

Cases have been filed against the four accused, and further legal proceedings are ongoing, police said.