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The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has detained two alleged members of an online gambling and money-laundering network, including an administrator of a betting platform reportedly run from Russia.
The suspects are Syed Zaman, 27, and Ruhul Quddus alias Bappi, 28, according to a CID statement issued Thursday.
The Cyber Police Centre arrested Zaman from Padma Residential Area in Rajshahi’s Chandrima Police Station area on Wednesday afternoon. Later that night, investigators arrested Quddus near Kotchandpur Railway Station in Jhenaidah based on information provided by Zaman.
CID said Zaman allegedly administered a betting website controlled from Russia and recruited gambling agents in different parts of Bangladesh. He reportedly collected their mobile financial service (MFS) numbers and bank account details to process deposits and withdrawals for gamblers.
The agents allegedly kept commissions from the gambling proceeds and transferred the remaining money through bank accounts and cryptocurrency platforms, which investigators suspect were used to launder funds abroad.
Investigators also alleged that the two suspects used their own agent SIM cards on betting platforms and collected SIM cards belonging to other agents to facilitate the operation.
Eight people have already been arrested in the same case, CID said.
The investigation is continuing to trace the operators behind the betting platforms, other agents and account holders, along with possible associates in Bangladesh and overseas.
The two suspects were presented before a court with a plea seeking remand.
CID has urged the public to avoid online gambling and betting and report information about such illegal activities to law enforcement authorities.