Scam racket busted in Dhubri, one arrested

Dhubri, Feb 23: A scam promising financial independence to underprivileged women in Dhubri has been dismantled by police, exposing a fraudulent chain business disguised as the "Support India Development Programme".

The elaborate racket, which had been running since January in the Halghora area, tricked thousands of unsuspecting victims into a fake membership scheme under the pretence of economic upliftment.

The police team, led by Sub-Inspector Nilim Talukdar, arrested the prime accused, Akram Hussain Laskar (31), from Kuleswar, Diamond Harbour, in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal.

Laskar, who posed as the branch manager, had been orchestrating the scam from a rented house under the Dhubri Police BN College Town Outpost.

Victims were lured into buying household items for Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 and were encouraged to recruit more members to expand the operation.

Upon investigation, Laskar failed to provide any legal documentation for the business, and police discovered all transactions were conducted exclusively in cash. A raid at the operation site led to the recovery of over Rs 2 lakh in cash.

The scheme promised members Rs 100 for each new recruit and supplied pearl-like beads for making necklaces, with a misleading assurance of Rs 400 per completed set of 40 necklaces.

Over 3,000 women had fallen victim to the scam, hoping for financial stability.

Police are also on the lookout for one Rashidul Rahman, a resident of Ward No. 14, Dhubri, who played a key role in persuading women to join the fraudulent scheme.

Many victims gathered at Dhubri Sadar Police Station on Sunday, seeking justice and exposing Rahman’s involvement.

Police have urged citizens to remain vigilant against such deceitful schemes and report any suspicious activities to prevent further exploitation. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the larger network behind this illicit trade.