Customs intelligence has detected diversion of Tk 9.19 billion through trade-based money laundering by three local companies, revenue board chief said on Wednesday.
Crescent Leather Products Ltd siphoned off Tk 4.22 billion, Remex Footwear Ltd Tk 4.81 billion and Crescent Tanneries Ltd Tk 158 million, he disclosed.
On the allegations, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) arrested Crescent Leather and Crescent Tanneries chairman MA Quader at the CIID office the same day.
"The CIID arrested him in the cases filed under the Anti-money Laundering Act-2012 (amended in 2015)," said Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
He disclosed the findings of the CIID investigations at a press briefing at the NBR headquarters after the fourth meeting of the reconstituted central taskforce on smuggling and money laundering.
On Wednesday, the wing filed cases against a total of 17 persons, including 13 officials of Janata Bank Ltd.
It also sued Remex Footwear chairman Abdul Aziz and managing director (MD) Litul Jahan (Mira), Crescent Leather and Crescent Tanneries MD Sultana Begum.
The NBR chief said 10 to 12 money-laundering investigations are also under scrutiny of the customs intelligence team.
In a statement, the board said the money has been flown out of Bangladesh with the connivance of Janata Bank's Imamganj corporate branch, officials and owners of those companies.
The companies showed false exports as almost no remittance came against export bills of the companies.
"We've filed the cases based on the specific information on money laundering," Mr Bhuiyan said.
He said the NBR has taken all cautious steps to stop the suspected persons leaving the country.
"The NBR, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit and Anti-Corruption Commission will conduct integrated scrutiny of the money-laundering cases," he added.
The taskforce will fix the method on how further investigations will be carried out, Mr Bhuiyan said.
He, however, assured that no innocents would be punished in the cases.
Citing the recently published report of the Global Financial Integrity (GFI), he said the reason for trade-based money laundering has to be identified.
He said the accumulation of assets of the suspects on drug smuggling would be detected through survey.
At the meeting, Mr Bhuiyan warned of stern action against smuggling and drug trafficking by strengthening surveillance on land borders and railways.
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