Natore ‘tantriks’ use fake jinn videos to scam
Photo: Agamir Somoy
A group of men dressed in red and white clothes come out late at night to set up filming seats in secluded gardens or forests while disguised as tantriks or kobirajes (exorcist). They burn trees, emit smoke from earthen pots, and light candles all around to create an eerie atmosphere.
The scammers then act out scenes of “summoning a jinn”. They record terrifying videos featuring long hair, beards, unkempt clothing, and various gestures before spreading them across YouTube and social media platforms to set traps.
Bangladeshi expatriates and long-term patients suffering from complex illnesses easily believe the videos, after which scammers embezzle a lot of money in phases under various pretexts. This scenario has become a regular occurrence in a neighborhood of Baraigram, Natore.
Authorities have identified at least 37 alleged tantriks with more than 200 associates in Choumohan village, alongside another 8-10 scammers in the neighboring villages of Kushmail and Songrampur.
Hundreds of expatriates fell into their fraudulent traps. After sending money without receiving any benefits, several victims lodged complaints at the police station, leading police to arrest four tantriks, including Sohan and Sohag, on 19 September.
A few months ago, law enforcement agencies conducted a joint operation in the area, causing the tantriks to abandon their hideouts and flee. Although the fraud temporarily ceased, the criminal ring has recently become active again.
According to victims, the perpetrators promote videos featuring strange voices and frightening looks while promising solutions to remove black magic, cure diseases, and change fortunes. Expatriates watching these videos of “miraculous powers” contact the alleged kobirajes (exorcist) to remove evil influences over their families.
The scammers make promises over mobile phones to cure diseases, initially taking Tk 200-300 via mobile banking under the pretext of summoning a jinn. They then gradually increase the monetary demands with various lures of treatment before eventually embezzling a lot of money.
Tofazzal Hossain from Pabna said tantriks Sohan, Sohag, and Sabbir Ahmed Sabu took Tk 2,34,000 through bKash over several months. When he went to their house to recover the money after realizing the fraud, the suspects intimidated him and issued death threats, prompting him to file a police complaint.
Expatriate Dayal Khan added, “My sick daughter did not get better even after a lot of treatment, so I contacted those tantriks after watching a video on YouTube. Among them, Imran took Tk 1.5 lakh with the lure of making my daughter healthy.
“But even after a long time, instead of improving, her health deteriorated, so I asked for the money back. This time, they threatened to cause harm through a jinn. They even threatened to pick her up from the house. Even after filing a written complaint at the police station, I got no result.”
Locals noted that these tantriks previously worked in agriculture or as manual laborers, but many now own huge wealth, cars, and three- to four-story buildings.
Admitting to the deception, tantrik Jibon said, “It is not right to do this. The way everyone opened YouTube channels, I was also trying to open one. Since there are obstacles and dangers, I will not proceed on this path anymore.”
Natore Additional Superintendent of Police Ifte Khayer added that a previous joint operation halted the perpetrators’ dominance, telling Agamir Somoy, “Earlier, police conducted operations against scammers and stopped their activities. If they start misdeeds again or cheat people, law enforcement agencies will conduct large-scale operations.
“All of them will be brought under the law. At the same time, people must also be aware. Money should not be given to anyone without knowing and understanding.”
