One arrested over customs server fraud

He said the shipment involved an estimated Tk12 crore in evaded government revenue

The Counter Terrorism Department of Chattogram Metropolitan Police has arrested a youth for allegedly hacking into the National Board of Revenue’s (NBR) customs server and helping an organised syndicate attempt to smuggle foreign liquor and cigarettes through forged documents from Chattogram Port.

The suspect, Sheikh Sejan, 26, was arrested from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Wednesday (15 July), with assistance from immigration police, while he was trying to leave for Nepal.

CMP Additional Police Commissioner Md Faisal Ahmed disclosed the information at a press briefing on Friday.

According to police, Sejan, hailing from Lohagara upazila in Narail district, was previously involved in birth registration forgery in Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) area.

Investigators say he later became involved in cybercrime and fraudulent activities by illegally accessing government servers.

CMP Additional Commissioner Faisal Ahmed at a press conference on Friday afternoon said Sejan is an accused in a case filed over an attempt to release a shipment of 11,676 litres of foreign liquor and cigarettes by hacking into the customs server and using false declarations to evade duties.

The case was filed with Bandar Police Station on 2 December 2024. During the investigation, police found evidence linking Sejan to the incident.

“Sejan is a member of an organised criminal gang. Under the false declaration of importing fabrics with bond facility, the group imported 11,676 litres of foreign liquor. They later hacked the user ID of a customs official and entered the customs server in an attempt to clear the consignment,” said the additional commissioner.

He said the shipment involved an estimated Tk12 crore in evaded government revenue.

Police had previously arrested seven other suspects in the case. Sejan’s involvement came to light through statement of one of those accused, the CMP official added.

According to CMP records, investigators had earlier uncovered a network involved in illegally creating hundreds of birth registrations in different wards of the CCC in early 2023.

While investigating that case, the Counter Terrorism Unit identified a group that had gained unauthorised access to government servers to create fake birth certificates. Sejan was arrested in connection with that case on 18 February 2023.

During serving in jail in the case, he developed connections with members of a customs server hacking network. After securing bail, he became involved in customs-related cyber fraud, said police officials.