Police arrest five-member forgery ring using fake Prime Minister and ministry documents
Photo Collected
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have dismantled a sophisticated forgery ring that specialized in creating fraudulent government documents, including counterfeit seals and signatures of the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, and high-ranking officials. The operation led to the arrest of five individuals, including the syndicate’s mastermind, Faruk Hossain, following a series of raids conducted across Madaripur and Kushtia.
The investigation, led by the Detective Branch (DB) of the DMP, revealed that Faruk Hossain, a former electrical technician for a labor ministry project, initiated the scheme after being terminated from his position in 2014. In an attempt to regain his job, Hossain began forging official letterheads and signatures of top government officials. He eventually expanded his illicit activities by forming a criminal syndicate that leveraged these forged credentials to influence government decision-making processes.
According to Additional Commissioner Md. Shafiqul Islam, the arrests were made over a two-day operation that spanned multiple districts. In addition to Hossain, police apprehended Sakib Khan, Masum Munsi, Mir Tauhidul Islam, and Md. Bokul Mondal. During the raids, authorities seized significant evidence, including four bundles of official letterheads belonging to members of parliament and cabinet secretaries, 41 forged rubber stamps bearing the names of the Prime Minister and other senior officials, as well as electronic devices including computers, laptops, and mobile phones used in the fraud.
The syndicate’s modus operandi was notably advanced; investigators discovered that the group had created a fake WhatsApp account using the photograph of a protocol officer attached to the Prime Minister’s office. This account was used to exert pressure on government officials to expedite job reinstatements and other administrative requests. The group also utilized these fraudulent tactics to submit forged recommendations regarding overseas manpower exports to relevant authorities.
The suspects are currently in police custody as investigators work to determine the full extent of the damages caused by the ring. The operation is part of an ongoing effort by the DB’s Cyber and Special Crime Division to crack down on identity theft and official document forgery within the capital and beyond.
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