Woman Arrested with Yaba Provides Fake Identity, Later Revealed by Fingerprints

Chittagong police arrested a woman with a large quantity of yaba (methamphetamine) in her possession, but she cleverly provided false personal information at the time of arrest. As a result, the police filed the case under the fake name and address she gave. After spending 27 days in jail, the woman secured bail.

During the investigation, authorities sent her provided name and address to the relevant local police station for verification. The station reported that no woman by that name lived at the stated address.

The arrest occurred on August 19 at Baklia Golchattar in Chittagong when the woman was caught on a Dhaka-bound bus with 310 yaba tablets. The initial case record listed her as Rabeya Begum, daughter of Faridul Alam, from Whaigar Kata village under Ramu Thana in Cox’s Bazar. The complainant in the case was Sub-Inspector Kishor Majumdar of Baklia Police Station.

Despite the fake information, her true identity was eventually revealed through fingerprint verification at the jail. According to the National ID database, the woman is actually Begum Mortuja Hossain, wife of Nur Hossain of South Muhuripara in Cox’s Bazar Sadar, and daughter of Mahbubul Alam.

Initially, the woman applied for bail at the Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate Court, which was denied. On August 27, she applied at the Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court, where her bail request was again rejected. Later, on Monday, the same court granted her bail, and she was released from prison.

Authorities said that on August 20, the day after her arrest, the woman was formally sent to prison through the court. The case is being investigated by Sub-Inspector Farhad Hakim of Baklia Police Station. He explained that her real name and address were unknown to him at the time, and the address in the case was found to be incorrect. Police are now trying to trace her through her phone number.

The woman admitted that she had provided a fake name and address to avoid detection after getting bail.

Fingerprint Verification System at Chittagong Central Jail

The Chittagong Central Jail maintains a Fingerprint Identification and Verification System (FIVS), which links prisoners’ fingerprints with the National ID database. Introduced formally in January 2023, this system has helped detect the true identities of numerous inmates who tried to enter the jail using fake information. From January 2023 until now, 17 individuals have been identified via fingerprint verification after attempting to submit false information at the jail.

Senior Jail Superintendent Md. Iqbal Hossain confirmed that during intake, Rabeya Begum’s fingerprints revealed a different identity in the National ID database—Begum Mortuja Hossain. The jail authorities informed the court of this finding on August 28.

Legal Expert Calls for Better Verification

Abdus Sattar, president of the Chittagong District Lawyers’ Association, advised that police should immediately verify the name and address provided by arrestees with local representatives or guards. He noted that false addresses make it difficult to locate accused individuals if warrants are issued. Sattar suggested police should also contact the accused’s family using their National ID number to ensure accurate information. He urged stricter precautions before recording names and addresses in cases, as well as disciplinary action against negligent officers to prevent such incidents in the future.