Approximately $7.8 billion (Tk 750 billion) in remittances are lost to Bangladesh annually as a result of money laundering by at least 5,000 Mobile Financial Service (MFS) agents working there.
After apprehending 16 members of that hundi gang, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) disclosed this information at a news conference.
Mohammad Ali Mia, the head of the CID and an additional inspector general (IGP) of police, claimed that they opened an investigation in response to recent volatility in the nation’s currency market.
He stated that the unlawful hundi trading was used to launder money by the agents of Bkash, Nagad, Upay, and other MFS.
The racket has laundered around Tk 250 billion in the last four months, the CID investigation revealed.
CID’s Financial Crime and Cyber Crime Unit has arrested 16 members of the gang from Dhaka and Chattogram.
The CID recovered 34 mobile phones, 3 laptops, 1 tab, 33 SIM cards, 10 cheque books, and cash of Tk 1.04 million (10,46,680) from their possession. Moreover, Tk 34.65 million (3,46,47,229) were found in three of the recovered SIMs.
CID chief Mohammad Ali said the arrested persons confessed to having laundered Tk 207 million in the last four months.
The arrestees are Akter Hossain, 40, Didarul Alam Suman, 34, Khorshed Alam Emon, 22, MFS agent Ruman Kanti Das Joy, 34, Rashed Manjur Firoz, 45, Md Hossainul Kabir, 35, Nabin Ullah, 37, Md Junaidul Haque, 30, Adibur Rahman, 25, Asif Newaz, 27, Farhad Hossain, 25, Abdul Basir, 27, Mahbubur Rahman Selim, 50, Abdul Awal Sohag, 36, Fazle Rabbi, 27, and Shamima Akter, 32.
The CEO of Selim and Brothers, a Bkash agent in Chattogram, is Rashed Manjur Firoz. His company has Tk 34.66 million in four SIMs.
The arrested individuals have money laundering complaints filed against them with the Khilgaon, Mohammadpur, and Kotwali police stations in Chattogram.
