CID busts online sex exploitation ring, 8 arrested

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested eight members of a criminal ring, including college students, for allegedly forcing young women into sexual activity via fake talent hunts and modelling offers.

The suspects, including private medical college students Mehedi Hasan and Sheikh Zahid, are accused of blackmailing young women by threatening to make their semi-nude photos viral.

This exploitation scheme had been ongoing for the past seven years under the guise of talent hunts, modelling opportunities, and lucrative job offers, said CID Chief Mohammad Ali Mia at a press conference at the CID headquarters today (26 June).

The CID chief said the arrested gang members have been charged under the Pornography Control Act, 2012 at Paltan Police Station and sent to court. He urged people to inform the CID about similar gangs exploiting vulnerable, disadvantaged, and broken-family girls.

Mohammad Ali Mia revealed that the gang's Telegram group has 150,000 subscribers and that they have amassed millions of taka over the past seven years through these activities.

During the operation, the CID seized 12 mobile phones, 20 SIM cards, a laptop, various ATM cards, and chequebooks used for financial transactions from the arrested individuals.

At the press conference, the CID chief stated that the gang members advertised jobs, modelling opportunities, and talent hunts on Facebook and other social media platforms. Responding young women were then added to Telegram groups. They built relationships with these women and conducted objectionable photoshoots under the guise of sending them to foreign buyers.

"Subsequently, they threatened to make these semi-nude photos viral, forcing the women to engage in sexual activities," the official said.

He further said that Mehedi and Zahid created numerous Telegram channels where they shared photos of young women. "The subscribers of these groups paid to establish sexual relationships with the women," Ali Mia added.

The chief also said, "To evade law enforcement, they did not register SIM cards in their names. Instead, they bought SIM cards using the identities of low-income individuals."

CID officer Jewel Chakma, who led the arrest operation on Tuesday, mentioned that several actresses and female students from private universities were found to be involved with this gang, engaging in such activities for money.