Police have arrested a UK expatriate in a case filed under the Pornography Control Act in Sylhet city.

The accused, Shakir Ahmed (36), was detained on Friday afternoon from his residence in the Sobhanighat area of the city. He was later taken before a court on Saturday, police said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) Md Manjurul Alam confirmed the arrest.

According to police, Shakir Ahmed, son of Hafiz Manjurul Islam of Sobhanighat area, was arrested during a raid at his residence (Moubon-67/1). A mobile phone used by him was also seized during the operation.

Police said the accused, an expatriate living in the United Kingdom, was acquainted with the victim’s family as a friend of her elder brother. While staying abroad, he allegedly developed a relationship with the victim by luring her with promises of marriage.

The complaint states that during video calls, he allegedly captured and stored the victim’s private photos and videos. He later used those materials to blackmail her via WhatsApp and delayed marriage proposals with various excuses.

Police further said that on April 3 at around 5:30pm, when the victim again raised the issue of marriage, the accused allegedly threatened her, warning that he would leak the private images and videos on social media if she disclosed the matter.

Based on the written complaint of the victim, a case was filed with Kotwali Model Police Station. Police later conducted the operation and arrested Shakir Ahmed.

He has been sent to court, SMP ADC Md Manjurul Alam added.