Rapid Action Battalion took initiative to deport detained Nigerian citizen Frank Coco to his native land for his suspected link to a cyber group that extorted money from the people through fraudulence.
鈥榃e sent a letter to the special branch on Wednesday for taking necessary measures to deport Nigerian citizen Frank Coco to his own country as he has long been involved in crimes in Bangladesh,鈥� Major Md Ahnaf of RAB-1 told BSS.聽
Necessary documents, including the case dockets and link of news particularly published in the English dailies that proved his involvement in the crimes during his stay in Bangladesh, were also attached to the letter, he said.聽
A team of RAB-1 arrested Frank Coco, 36, along with another Nigerian citizen Emanuwel, 35, and a Bangladeshi woman Sweety Akhter, 27, in separate raids in Dhaka鈥檚 Pallabi and Mirpur areas on Monday and Tuesday.
Two laptops, four iPhones, three smart mobile phones, three button mobile phones, one tab, and one Orico brand hard drive used in the fraud were seized from their possessions.
Asked about the measures to deport another Nigerian citizen Emanuwel, the RAB officer said that they were yet to confirm how he entered into Bangladesh.
If Emanuwel entered into Bangladesh illegally, he would be deported through legal procedure, he said, adding that the SB would take steps accordingly after verifying whether Emanuwel entered into Bangladesh with tourist visa or illegally.
Major Ahnaf said that Nigeria had no embassy in Bangladesh. The detained Coco had entered into Bangladesh with tourist visa via India as the African country had embassy in India.聽
During the preliminary interrogation, the arrested confessed that they had been involved in the fraud for almost two years. Their accomplice Sweety Akhter had been associated with them for the last three months.
Coco was arrested by RAB-10 two years back and again engaged in the misdeed after being released from jail on bail.
鈥業n the recent operation, RAB personnel have found around Tk 18 lakh in their Nagad and Bikash accounts, where money is still being deposited based on previously sent messages from different places,鈥� said Major Ahnaf.
The arrested woman contacted the numbers of various Bangladeshis provided by the local coordinator in Bangladesh for a long time and extorted money from the victims by luring them.
The coordinator gets a share of 10-15 per cent of the money obtained through fraud.
