The Cyber Police Centre (CPC) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested four members of an alleged online gambling and money laundering syndicate that used bank accounts and cryptocurrency platforms to transfer gambling proceeds abroad.
The arrestees were identified as Bablu Mia, 28, Md Monir Hossain, 30 of Sadar upazila in Tangail district, Nur Safayet Ifti, 24 and Shamim Al Mamun, 29, of Tangail.
A team of the Cyber Personnel Management and Development unit of the CPC arrested the four during raids at different locations in Tangail around 11pm on Sunday, according to a CID press release.
During preliminary investigation it is found that the suspects supplied SIM cards registered in their names to agents of online gambling websites.
According to the case statement, the CPC detected through regular cyber monitoring that various online betting websites operated from both inside and outside the country were active recently.
Advertisements for the gambling platforms were being circulated on social media and other online platforms, while betting was conducted in exchange for money on international cricket, football and other sporting events as well as online casinos, it said.
After collecting information on mobile financial service (MFS) and bank accounts used by agents of the betting sites, the CID filed a case with Paltan Police Station of Dhaka Metropolitan Police on May 17 under Sections 20(2), 21(2), 22(2), 24(2), 27(2) and 29(2) of the Cyber Security Act, 2026.
Following the filing of the case, CPC investigators, through information technology analysis and intelligence, found that the accused had been recruiting online betting agents in different parts of the country and collecting their MFS and bank account details for use on betting websites.
The investigation also found that the agents deducted their commissions from gambling proceeds before the money was allegedly laundered abroad through various bank accounts and cryptocurrency platforms, according to the CID.
The suspects allegedly collected agent SIM cards in exchange for money and supplied them to administrators of the online gambling syndicate.
During preliminary interrogation, they admitted that the agent SIM cards were used to deposit and withdraw money on online betting websites, the CID said.
The arrested suspects are being processed for production before a court.
The CPC is currently investigating the case, while efforts are continuing to identify and arrest other members involved in the online gambling network, illegal e-transactions and money laundering activities, the CID said.
Earlier, CID teams arrested several other alleged members of the same syndicate in separate raids.
The CID urged people to refrain from online gambling and betting activities and not to make financial transactions with individuals or groups in the name of online betting or gambling.
It also requested people to inform law enforcement agencies if they have information about such illegal activities.