Ministry seeks explanation from Saimon Overseas over money laundering thru cross-border ticketing
Agency dismisses allegations as "false"
The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism has sought an explanation from the travel agency Saimon Overseas Ltd over allegations of money laundering through cross-border air ticket sales.
The ministry issued a letter on 7 December stating that based on a ticket sales statement reviewed by officials, the agency allegedly sold 1,894 air tickets worth around Tk16 crore through foreign travel agents between 4 January 2024 and 21 August 2025 using its IATA number 42300230 and associated GDS ID.
According to the complaint, the tickets were sold in Malaysia, Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and various European countries.
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Passengers used these tickets to travel to Bangladesh or onward to third countries, but the payments were allegedly made abroad and were "not repatriated to Bangladesh."
The ministry attached relevant documents and asked the agency to provide clarification within three working days.
Saimon Overseas, however, dismissed the allegations as 'false, baseless and fictional'
In its written response, Saimon Overseas stated the claims were "completely false, fabricated and imaginary."
In a written reply to the ministry, Managing Director Asfiya Jannat Saleh said the agency has been providing corporate travel services for 44 years, selling tickets directly to passengers or corporate clients, who pay through cash, cheque, card or bank transfer in Bangladesh.
The agency claims that after reviewing the dates and routing mentioned in the complaint, it found that the complainant had misinterpreted or deliberately misrepresented regular sales as cross-border ticketing.
Saimon Overseas said for all relevant bookings during the period, it received payment through local bank accounts and made official remittances to IATA as per regulations.
The agency attached bank statements, ticket copies, invoices and IATA reports to support its position, asserting that "there is no involvement in money laundering."
