An illegal iPhone assembly factory was operating in the capital under the supervision of Chinese nationals. Mobile phone components brought from abroad to evade taxes were being illegally assembled into iPhones and supplied to the local market.
Recently, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DB) conducted raids in Uttara and Nikunja areas, arresting three members of the fraud ring, which had been active for about one and a half years.
During the operation, police seized 363 iPhones of various models, iPhone parts, and several mobile phone manufacturing machines.
Mahiuddin Mahmud Sohel, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the Mirpur Division of the Detective Branch, shared these details at a press conference at the DMP Media Centre on Thursday (January 8) afternoon.
He said that based on a secret tip-off on January 7, DB Police simultaneously raided Uttara Sector 17 and Nikunja-1. In Uttara, one person was arrested with 58 mobile phones, while in Nikunja-1, two Chinese nationals were arrested with 305 mobile phones. Alongside the illegal phones, various iPhone parts, assembly machines, and imported liquor were recovered.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the gang was bringing iPhone parts from abroad and assembling them in a secret lab in Dhaka. The assembled phones, resembling genuine iPhones, were sold in the market as originals.
DC Sohel added that the gang had been operating this illegal business for nearly one and a half years, supplying a significant number of fake iPhones to the market during this period.
When asked about local involvement, he said that a few Bangladeshis have been identified, but their names cannot be disclosed due to the ongoing investigation.
DB officials urged the public to exercise caution when purchasing mobile phones, warning that many fall victim to scams by being lured with cheap “original iPhones.” They advised buying phones only from authorized or reputable sources.
Police confirmed that legal action against the arrested individuals is currently underway.