Fraud job ring busted

A fraud ring that allegedly forged government officials’ seals and signatures to issue fake appointment letters and gazettes and swindle crores of taka from job seekers has been busted with its alleged mastermind arrested by Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) Wari Division.

A DB team arrested Md Bablu Kazi, 60, from Pallabi in the capital on Friday night.

DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) Niaz Mehedi confirmed the matter. He said Bablu and his associates had long been posing as officials of the Ministry of Land. They allegedly forged a deputy secretary’s signature to prepare fake appointment letters, joining letters and gazettes for job seekers.

Between June 25 and July 26, the gang allegedly took Tk 13 lakh from Md Sobuj Sarker of Nagarkanda in Faridpur, promising him a government job. An investigation following a complaint found Bablu’s involvement, he said.

During his arrest, police recovered fake appointment orders, joining letters and gazettes bearing forged signatures and government seals, along with a fake attendance register, he added.

Niaz also said the gang targeted government offices frequented by large numbers of people. One member posed as a senior government official, while others introduced themselves as his driver or office assistant, allowing them to move freely inside government offices and gain victims’ trust.

The gang promised government jobs without examinations and even offered victims the option of paying after joining.

To make the fraud appear genuine, victims were made to sign fake attendance registers and were paid small amounts as “salaries” from the gang’s own pockets for the first one or two months. The gang would then demand large sums of money before disappearing.

A case has been filed with Pallabi Police Station (PS). PS police said efforts are underway to identify and arrest other members of the gang.