Man held for allegedly laundering around Tk1,400 crore 

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) has arrested a man for allegedly laundering Tk1,396.14 crore.

CIID nabbed Md Shahidul Alam, 56, from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) during a recent drive.

Shahidul, accused in total 29 money laundering cases, was trying to flee to Italy, reads an official press release issued in this regard on Sunday.

According to the release, the arrestee, along with his accomplices, used fake names, addresses, documents, trade licence, TIN, BIN, and IRC to import high-duty liquor, cigarettes, LED TVs, powdered milk, photocopiers, under false import permission of machinery.

The accused used four of his fake companies – Messrs AgroBD & JP, Henan Anhui Agro LC, Hebra Branco and China BDL – to evade huge sums of customs duty and launder crores of money, added the release.

Total nine cases were filed against Messrs AgroBD & JP for laundering Tk439.11 crore. Seven cases each were filed against Hebra Branco and China BDL for laundering Tk290.89 crore and Tk234.39 crore respectively.  

Whereas, six cases were filed against the accused's Henan Anhui Agro LC for laundering Tk429.11 crore. 

Shahidul was shown arrested in one of the cases filed with the Paltan Model police station back in 2019.

He was produced before a Dhaka court on Saturday. The court ordered him to be sent to jail after.