A Bangladeshi national, Zobaidul Amin, 28, has been taken from Malaysia to the United States by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after being arrested over allegations of running an international child sexual exploitation ring.
FBI director Kash Patel disclosed the information in a post on X today, Friday. In the post, he said Zobaidul had been arrested by the FBI along with US partner agencies. He had been a fugitive since 2022.
According to the FBI director, agents transported Zobaidul from Malaysia to Alaska in the United States, where he will face the charges brought against him. Further details will be released later.
Kash Patel also thanked the Malaysian government and local US partners for their cooperation in the investigation and arrest.
Meanwhile, a press release published on Thursday on the website of the US Department of Justice said a Bangladeshi suspect accused of operating an international child sexual exploitation network was scheduled to appear before the district court of Alaska on 5 March.
Prothom Alo’s New York correspondent reported that in July 2022 a federal grand jury in the United States indicted Zobaidul on charges of abuse of hundreds of children in Alaska as well as other locations in the US and abroad.
According to the allegations, Zobaidul used various social media platforms, including Instagram and Snapchat, to identify minors. He allegedly coerced them into producing sexually explicit images and videos.
Before the charges were filed in the US, Zobaidul had been living in Malaysia, and studying medicine there.
In September 2022, Malaysia’s attorney general’s office also charged him with offences related to possessing and producing child pornography.
Authorities in Malaysia have been working in coordination with the FBI and the US Department of Justice in the investigation into Zobaidul. He was transported from Malaysia to Alaska on 4 March.
According to the US Department of Justice press release, if convicted, Zobaidul could face a prison sentence ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment.