Special Correspondent

Operating under various aliases such Mila, Lina, Toma, Lucky, Ena, or Prema, an active network of fraudsters has been systematically targeting top businessmen, government officials, and political leaders in the country. By collecting mobile numbers, luring targets into romantic affairs, and setting up honey traps, these criminals covertly capture intimate or obscene photographs to use as leverage, threatening to leak them on the internet. Through these tactics, they have been extorting millions of taka, demanding luxury flats, expensive jewelry, and even high-end cars worth crores of taka. Countless respected individuals have been utterly ruined after falling into the traps of these masked operators.

Compounding these threats is the use of a mind-altering chemical substance known colloquially as "Devil's Breath" (scopolamine or similar agents) to incapacitate and manipulate victims. Among recent cases, a high-ranking government official suffered immense devastation after being targeted by an affluent woman named Jannatul Ferdous, leaving him trapped in a nightmarish reality. An investigative report details several such alarming incidents.

Incident 1: Targeting of high-ranking Govt officials : 

Abid Hasan (a pseudonym) is a high-ranking government official with an office in a multi-story building in Motijheel, widely perceived to be a man of substantial wealth. Information regarding his background was gathered from a contractor by Jannatul Ferdousi, alias Toma, an infamous socialite, club-circuit figure, and former casino operator in Motijheel. Initial phone conversations led to office visits and eventual invitations to visit her residence. When Abid Hasan declined to visit her home, a master plan was hatched to abduct him using the "Devil's Breath" chemical. This illicit operation reportedly received the full backing of Toma’s alleged husband.

On a weekly holiday, when the official came to his office for urgent work, Toma's syndicate caught wind of it. Under the pretext of an "urgent discussion," they approached Abid Hasan. During the conversation, they administered the mind-altering substance, rendering him incapacitated and semi-conscious. He was then bundled into their vehicle and taken to their private apartment.

Inside, a compromising video showing Abid Hasan sharing a bed with Jannatul Ferdousi Toma was meticulously staged and recorded on a mobile phone by Toma’s husband. Late that night, the government official was dumped on a deserted street.

Days later, the syndicate began sending video clips to Abid Hasan through various mobile channels, demanding BDT 50 million (5 crore taka). They threatened that if their demands were not met, the video would be leaked and viralized on social media to destroy his reputation and cost him his government job. When Abid Hasan refused to comply, the enraged syndicate sold copies of the staged video clip to certain unscrupulous officials, employees, and leaseholders associated with his office.

This malicious faction initially leaked the video through a dummy Facebook profile, subsequently pumping funds into targeted advertising to viralize it across social media platforms. Beyond viral exposure, they forwarded the video clips to high-ranking ministers and secretaries, inflicting severe damage on Abid Hasan's career and personal honor.

Inquiries into this dangerous woman, Jannatul Ferdousi Toma, revealed that she has been married three times, engaged in over a hundred relationships, and involved in more than a dozen extramarital affairs. Formerly known as a "Night Queen" of the Motijheel club circuit, she was reportedly a kept companion of casino kingpin Ismail Chowdhury Samrat during the previous political regime. By cultivating close ties with prominent businessmen, bureaucrats, and political figures and subsequently blackmailing them, she has maintained a lavish lifestyle. Law enforcement agencies and intelligence units are currently actively searching for her.

Incident 2:  Karwan Bazar business extortion ring :

A prominent businessman from Karwan Bazar was lured to a residence where fake marriage documentation was fabricated, and a fraudulent claim of BDT 700,000 was pressed against him. The businessman signed a stamp paper promising payment before immediately seeking help from law enforcement, exposing the plot orchestrated by Lina Mahmud, alias Mila.

Operating a multi-layered extortion racket for nearly five years, this network has siphoned off over a crore of taka both domestically and internationally. A team from the Tejgaon Division of the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police successfully arrested the core members of the gang.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Detective Police, the ring consisted of five members, with Lina Mahmud alias Mila acting as the ringleader and the others serving as accomplices. The associates gathered mobile numbers of wealthy businessmen, corporate employees, and expatriates, handing them over to Mila, who then initiated romantic entrapment over the phone. Once targets were lured to designated residences, compromising photographs were captured to exact extortion payments, which many victims paid out of fear of social ruin.

The syndicate did not stop at romance scams; they frequently staged fraudulent marriages, utilizing fake marriage registers (kazis) to extract exorbitant kabin (dowry/marriage contract) payments. Arrested individuals included Lina Mahmud alias Mila, her associate Monir, and fake kazi Habibur Rahman.

Detective sources noted that the detainees were professional, organized criminals targeting affluent individuals across various areas of Dhaka. Female operatives were deployed to invite targets to predetermined flats under false pretenses, where nudes and objectionable images were captured to hold victims hostage. If victims refused financial demands, the gang deployed fake stamp papers, bogus marriage registries, and threats of false women-repression and dowry cases.

Incident 3: The multi-crore matrimonial and visa scam : 

Operating under the guise of offering "citizenship in developed countries," a woman named Jannatul orchestrated large-scale financial frauds through newspaper advertisements. Promoted as a Canadian expatriate, a short-divorcee, and a childless beauty, she published alluring matrimonial notices in newspapers. Unsuspecting men drawn to the prospect of marriage and an affluent life abroad ended up losing crores of taka. Jannatul managed to amass an estimated BDT 200 million (20 crore taka) before finally being trapped by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

According to Senior ASP Zisanul Haq, the syndicate was busted following a complaint filed by a victim. Jannatul, who failed to pass her SSC examinations, proved exceptionally cunning in financial fraud. Having divorced her first husband, she partnered with her second husband to expand her criminal enterprise.

In August of the previous year, an advertisement appeared in a newspaper seeking an elderly groom willing to take charge of business operations for a "realtor, Canadian citizen, divorced, childless, and pious bride." Interested parties were directed to a mobile number and instructed to contact a residence in Baridhara.

A victim named Nazir Hossain, who filed a complaint with the CID, responded to the advertisement. He met Jannatul at a Gulshan restaurant, where he handed over BDT 150,000 along with his passport. Jannatul claimed she was the bride herself, boasting a business worth BDT 2 billion in Canada, but explained that Nazir could not travel immediately due to severe winter conditions in Canada.

Subsequently, under the pretext of importing funds from Canada for domestic business investments, she extracted BDT 17.95 million (1 crore 79 lakh 50 thousand taka) for taxes, VAT, and DHL courier bills. Afterward, Jannatul turned off her mobile phone and cut off all contact with Nazir, prompting him to approach the CID.

Jannatul was apprehended by the CID while attempting to meet another prospective victim. Investigators recovered ledger books detailing past financial extortions and comprehensive lists of victim names and addresses. Operating for over a decade, her syndicate's amassed assets and properties valued at roughly BDT 20 crore have been uncovered by the CID.

Law enforcement warnings and cyber vigilance :

Detective police sources indicate that over fifty similar syndicates operate throughout the capital, several of which have already been dismantled. These criminal rings heavily concentrate in areas such as Mirpur, Jatrabari, and Badda.

A detective branch assistant commissioner noted that multiple rings utilizing newspaper advertisements have been neutralized, though modern perpetrators increasingly exploit social media platforms such as Facebook, Imo, and WhatsApp to carry out honey traps and extortion plots. Authorities continue to urge public vigilance, emphasizing that caution and restraint from greed remain the most effective defenses against such crimes.

An additional deputy commissioner of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit's Cyber Crime Division stated that complaints involving cyber-enabled blackmail remain high, affecting both men and women. While instances of female-perpetrated blackmail are prominent, male-perpetrated blackmail also occurs frequently. Many victims choose to quietly settle matters out of fear of reputational damage, while others come forward with formal complaints. 

Law enforcement continues to track and arrest these syndicates, reiterating that public awareness and cautious digital behavior are crucial to curbing these offenses.