Customs intelligence detects Tk 380 crore money laundering

Customs detectives have identified four firms that have shipped products from the country worth around Tk 389 crore allegedly for money laundering.

The firms are Sabiha Saiki Fashion, Asia Trading Corporation, Emu Trading Corporation, and Ilham, said the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) at a press briefing at its office in Dhaka today.

A team of CIID, Chattogram detected the anomalies.

The firms exported garments items to various countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Singapore Qatar, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arab and Nigeria in 1,780 consignments using fake export permits and different codes used mainly for the shipments of samples, relief and a smaller amount of items, said the CIID.

The value of the shipment is $37.80 million.

The firms have used export permits of genuine exporters to evade customs, said CIID Director-General Md Fakhrul Alam.

"Since there was no banking channel involved in the process, the proceeds from the shipments would not come to Bangladesh."

"We are working to take legal actions against the exporters. Of course, a case will be filed for money laundering," he said.