Two held over Australia, Canada visa fraud scheme

The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has arrested two members of an organised fraud syndicate accused of swindling overseas job seekers out of more than Tk1 crore.

The detainees, Mariful Islam, 21, and Bacchu Baw alias Hasinur, 28, promised their victims jobs in Australia and Canada.

The arrests were made during a raid in Kishoreganj upazila of Nilphamari district, in the middle of an investigation into a case filed with Pallabi Police Station under the Cyber Security Act, 2026, police said.

During the operation, detectives seized a laptop, seven mobile phones, 13 SIM cards and nine fake Bangladeshi passports allegedly used in the fraud.

The operation was carried out by the Organised Crime Investigation Team of the DB's Cyber and Special Crime (North) Division under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police and on the instructions from Joint Commissioner Syed Harun Or Rashid.

According to investigators, the syndicate lured victims by offering high-paying jobs and permanent residency opportunities in Australia and Canada.

To convince job seekers, the fraudsters allegedly supplied forged work permits, fake visa approval letters, fabricated Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) documents and forged immigration papers. They also created a fake visa verification website resembling an official Australian government portal.

Police said when victims entered their passport numbers into the fake website, it displayed messages falsely confirming visa approval, making the scam appear genuine.

The syndicate then collected money in phases through mobile financial services, claiming the payments were required for medical examinations, visa processing, document verification, air tickets and other processing fees.

During the investigation, detectives found that the group had allegedly defrauded more than 72 victims using the same method.

The complainant in the case told investigators that he paid nearly Tk4,80,000 through bKash in several installments after being promised employment in Australia. When the suspects demanded more money without making any progress on the promised job, he realised he had been cheated and filed a case.

DB officials said forensic examination of the seized digital devices uncovered evidence related to the fraud, including victim databases, mobile financial transaction records and forged visa documents.

During preliminary interrogation, the suspects admitted that they had been targeting overseas job seekers from different districts across the country for a long time using the same modus operandi, police said.

Investigators believe several other members are involved in the racket, and efforts are underway to identify and arrest them.

The accused have been produced before a court with a prayer for seven days' police remand, while the investigation continues.

The information was confirmed by Waliul Islam, Additional Deputy Commissioner of the DB Cyber and Special Crime (North) Division of the DMP.