Police arrest four with ties to ATM booth fraud

Police have arrested four people, including a woman, for embezzling nearly Tk 25.7 million by altering “electronic journals” on the Dutch-Bangla Bank ATM network.

The detainees arrested in Dhaka and Narayanganj on Tuesday are Saima Akhtar, Al-Amin Babu, Mehedi Hassan, Muhammad Mamun and Asaduzzaman Asad. Police seized four mobile phones from the detainees during the arrest, reports bdnews24.com.

Mir Mohammad Shaharuzzaman Rony, now a fugitive from justice, was the lynchpin of the financial crime. He was employed to the bank as a senior officer in Dhaka, Hafiz Akhter, additional commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said on Wednesday.

Rony, aided by his wife and the detainees, withdrew cash from ATM booths. After the transactions were complete, he altered the ATM’s electronic journals, so that it seemed the machines had not dispensed the money. They could then claim reimbursement for the “unpaid” money. ATM electronic journals capture all activities, such as transactions, settlement information and cash dispensation.

Rony’s plan stole nearly Tk 25.7 million through 1,363 transactions, the police official said. Rony fled abroad, he said, adding that efforts were underway to find and arrest him.

A case under the Digital Security Act has been filed with Motijheel Police over the incident.