CID files case against Eorange for laundering over Tk232cr

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police today filed a case against controversial e-commerce platform Eorange for laundering Tk232.43 crore.

According to the case dockets, the accused officials, in the guise of an e-commerce site, laundered large sums of money collected as payments from its customers.

They used Eorange.shop and its affiliated organisations – Red Orange International, Orange Bangladesh Limited, and All Zone – to commit the crime.

The accused in the case are former owner of Eorange, Sonia Mehzabin, current owner Bithi Akter, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Md Aman Ullah Chowdhury, Adviser Md Masukur Rahman, Orange Bangladesh Limited Director Sheikh Sohel Rana and more five to six unidentified people.

Humayun Kabir, special superintendent of CID police (Financial Crime Unit), confirmed the matter to The Business Standard.

Three people associated with the company, including Eorange owner Sonia Mehzabin and her husband Mashukur Rahman, are now in jail after their bail pleas were rejected.

Earlier, a Dhaka court banned five people, including Eorange owner Sonia Mehzabin, her husband Masukur Rahman and CEO Amanullah, from leaving the country.

Eorange customers have filed several cases against the company.

Meanwhile, the VAT intelligence directorate filed a case against the e-commerce platform in connection with evading VAT amounting to Tk13 lakh.

On 8 June, the VAT intelligence raided Eorange's Gulshan office and seized documents.

Later, the agency found evidence of VAT evasion after analysing the documents.

Besides, the e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) suspended the membership of Eorange and three other e-commerce companies for their failure to provide proper explanations to the e-CAB's show-cause letters.

Eorange owner Sonia Mehzabin, sister of suspended Banani Police Station inspector (investigation) Sheikh Sohel Rana, her husband Masukur Rahman and Sohel's so-called wife Naznin Nahar Bithi, another owner of the company, all have allegedly gobbled up around Tk1,100 crore in advance money without delivering products purchased to customers, according to a case document.

Analysing the data of the company's bank accounts till 20 July, over Tk620.67 crore was deposited to one of Eorange City Bank accounts and a little over Tk663 crore was later transferred to motorcycle vendors.

The account now has a deposit of around Tk22 lakh.