Police have arrested Enayet Karim Chowdhury, a man who posed as an intelligence operative and allegedly swindled high-profile individuals by promising to have US sanctions lifted against them.

Enayet was detained while moving suspiciously around Minto Road in Dhaka. Investigators say he targeted former government heavyweights who had come under US sanctions, offering them false assurances that he could use his “connections” to remove the restrictions. He even claimed he could arrange meetings with US President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Among those he allegedly approached is fugitive former police chief Benazir Ahmed, along with several other influential figures.

According to investigators, Enayet siphoned off hundreds of crores of taka through these schemes, laundering the money abroad via hundi networks. He is believed to have invested the funds in numerous overseas businesses.

Officials describe Enayet as a “cold-blooded conman” whose prime targets were corrupt and compromised government officials as well as vulnerable political leaders. Masquerading as a CIA agent, he lured them with promises of quick solutions to their troubles or the ability to neutralize rivals.