Six detained for exploiting fellow expats in work permit scam

Six Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested by the Maldivian police for allegedly cheating multiple fellow foreign nationals out of large sums of money and laundering it in a fake work permit scam.

In a statement on Sunday, the police said all six arrests were made back in December.

The six suspects were identified as:

• Habeebur Rahman, 35
• Afjal Hossain, 31
• Mohamed Emon Kazi, 32
• Mohamed Haneef Bapari, 46
• Kazi Raihan, 22
• Mohamed Yousuf Prodhan, 35

According to the police, they are under investigation for “trading in the Maldives in violation of the work permit, scamming and obtaining a large amount of money from other foreign nationals by promising to arrange for work permits for them, and engaging in acts of money laundering.”

Mohamed Emon Kazi, Kazi Raihan and Mohamed Yousuf Prodhan were arrested on December 22, Afjal Hossain and Habeebur Rahman on December 23, and Mohamed Haneef Bapari on December 30.

According to the police, the court extended Kazi Raihan and Mohamed Yousuf Prodhan’s remand by 15 days on January 12, Mohamed Haneef Bapari’s remand by 15 days on January 15, Mohamed Emon Kazi’s remand by 10 days on January 22, and Afjal Hossain and Habeebur Rahman’s remand by 15 days on January 23.

The case remains under investigation by the police.