10 arrested for attempting to steal Tk6.5cr from Walton director’s bank account

Police have arrested 10 persons for allegedly trying to embezzle Tk6 crore by using forged information from a bank account of SM Ashraful Alam, director of Walton Hi-Tech Industries Limited.

Md Asaduzzaman, deputy commissioner (DC) of the Gulshan Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), confirmed the matter.

He said, "The gang was attempting to transfer Tk6 crore from the Walton director's account with Dutch-Bangla Bank to another account by forging signatures and information through the electronic funds transfer (EFT) system.

The detainees are Md Zakir Hossain, Yeasin Ali, Mahbub Ishtyak Bhuiyan, Anisur Rahman, Sohan, Md Dulal Hossain, Md Aslam, Abdur Razzak, Zakir Hossen, Md Anwar Hossain Bhuiyan, and Md Nazrul Islam.

Md Safayet Tarique, first assistant director of Walton Group, filed a case with Vatara police station over the incident on 27 January.

According to the case statement, on 25 January, the gang came to the Dutch-Bangla Bank's Bashundara Branch and submitted papers to transfer Tk6 crore from the bank account of Ashraful Alam to a bank account named "NI Corporation BD"' with AB Bank's Motijheel Branch. When it raised suspicion, the bank manager contacted the Walton Group, and the fraud came to light.

After the case was filed, Vatara police arrested 10 members of the fraudster gang from different areas of the capital.

Among them, five were arrested on 27 January from a restaurant in the Vatara police station area while they were planning to embezzle Tk12 crore from a savings account of United Hospital Limited with Dutch-Bangla Bank's Basundhara branch.

Accused Md Zakir Hossain is serving as SME sales team manager at Dutch-Bangla Bank's Karwan Bazar branch. He used to collect information about affluent customers from the bank's servers and provide it to other members of the gang.

During interrogation, the arrestees said they were an organised group. They used to embezzle money from these bank accounts with the help of Md Zakir Hossain.