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Police have arrested two brothers for allegedly defrauding a contractor of more than Tk2.5 crore by promising to secure work at the under-construction Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Ishwardi, Pabna.
Although a case was filed with Ishwardi Police Station on September 3, police disclosed the arrests on Wednesday (October 14).
The arrestees are Supto Islam Jibon, 27, and Dipto Islam, 25, sons of Islam Mondol from Natun Rooppur area of Pakshi Union in Ishwardi.
According to the case statement and police, the accused allegedly posed as senior officials of Russian contractor Atomstroyexport (ASE), the main contractor for the Rooppur project, and ESKM Company to lure contractors with promises of securing work orders.
They allegedly collected money on various pretexts, including fake work orders, purchases of materials, bill approvals and payments of VAT and taxes.
A case was filed over the alleged embezzlement of Tk2.05 crore in cash and materials worth Tk44 lakh from contractor Mohammad Bin Salam, a resident of Baghoil Purba Para in Pakshi Union.
Police arrested Dipto on September 6, three days after the case was filed. His brother, Supto Islam Jibon, has been in jail since July 6, when the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested him along with four associates with firearms.
Sub-Inspector Sanchay Chakraborty, the investigating officer, confirmed the arrests and said members of the alleged group were also involved in drug trafficking.
He said Dipto admitted to his involvement in the incident in a statement before a court. Businesspeople involved in financial transactions through bKash and Nagad also testified before the court, he added.
Ishwardi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Ashadur Rahman Asad said police had received reports of similar fraud for a long time.
“Following an investigation based on the case statement, we arrested the two brothers. Other members of the group have also been identified, and efforts to arrest them are continuing,” he said.