Five-member ‘honey-trap’ gang arrested in Dhaka’s Turag

The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has arrested five alleged members of a “honey-trap” gang, including its alleged mastermind, in the Turag area of Dhaka.

Additional Police Commissioner (Detective Branch) Shafiqul Islam disclosed the information at a press conference at the DMP Media Centre on Sunday afternoon.

The arrestees are Jeet Bhakta alias Abdur Rahman, 38; Pritam Biswas alias Anik Sheikh, 30; Arthajit Bhakta alias Siddhartha, 20; Sabrin Kabir Prema alias Neha, 22; and Sadia Yasmin alias Mahi, 21. Police identified Jeet Bhakta as the alleged mastermind of the gang.

According to police, the arrests followed specific complaints from victims. Detectives identified the suspects' whereabouts and conducted a raid in Turag, seizing five mobile phones, three unsigned blank cheques and a torture belt.

Police said the gang's female members used fake social media accounts to establish romantic relationships with wealthy men. They would then invite the men to prearranged apartment or hotel rooms on various pretexts.

Once the victims arrived, the gang's male members would join them, hold them hostage and subject them to physical and psychological torture, according to police.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the gang would take compromising photographs and videos of the victims and threaten to circulate them unless they paid large sums of money.

Shafiqul Islam said a case had been filed against the arrestees in this connection and that legal proceedings against them were under way.