Dhaka: Detectives arrested seven members, including four Nigerians, of a fraud gang from different parts of the city on Wednesday night.

The arrestees are Liza Akhter, her so-called Nigerian husband John Agodi UGO, three other Nigerians -- Michael Eugene Brown, Nnamdi Kelvin -- and Afeez, and their Bangladeshi associates Mohsin Sheikh, owner of M/S Mohsin Plumbing Service Centre, and his wife Taslima Parvin alias Shimu.

Tipped off, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) conducted drives in different parts of the city and arrested them for their link to the fraud and human trafficking gang, said Masudur Rahman, DMP deputy commissioner (Media).

Briefing reporters at the DMP media centre on Thursday, Joint Commissioner (DB) Abdul Baten said the arrested Nigerians used to contact Bangladeshi nationals through email or Facebook messenger, saying they have huge money to invest in Bangladesh.

When any Bangladeshi person shows interest, the Nigerians tell the target to send some money to draw the cash, said Baten quoting the arrestees.

Once the Bangladeshi person sends the money, they cut off all communications and flee, he added.

The matter came to the fore after one Kamruzzaman became victim of the fraudulence.

Quoting Kamruzzaman, the DB joint commissioner said he got introduced with one foreign female named Prisca Khalifa through Facebook who asked him to transfer a huge amount of money to the accounts of arrested Liza and Mohsin in several phases to start a new business.

As per the directive, Kamruzzaman sent Tk 25.44 lakh to those accounts.

Following several allegations, including that of Kamruzzaman, detectives launched investigation and arrested the seven members of the gang.

Quoting the victims, Baten said several money exchange traders are also involved with the cheating gang.

Members of Nigerian fraud gang come to Bangladesh and then start cheating people in the name of various trades, the DB official said adding that many of them are involved in illegal drug trading too.

Law enforcers will carry out more drives very soon to arrest the illegal foreigners, he said.