DOT Desk
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed petitions to the court seeking orders to confiscate assets of drug dealers under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, sources said, reports The Daily Sun.
A senior CID official told the daily sun that they have sufficient evidence to prove that several drug dealers have amassed huge wealth through the illegal trade.
Police will also file money laundering cases against some notorious drug traders in the capital and elsewhere of the country. The inquiry into a drug case with Fatullah police station in Narayanganj in April in 2017 dug out a large number of drug kingpins. The Organised Crime Unit of CID has already arrested 34 of them, who made fortunes worth crores of taka from the illegal drug trade.
The arrestees were indicted in money laundering cases in addition to cases for illegal drug trade.
Molla Nazrul Islam, special superintendent of CID, told the daily sun that many more drug traders will be made accused in the money laundering cases.
In response to a query, the CID official said they have so far lodged 167 money laundering cases against drug traders and the cases are now being investigated.
Nazim Uddin Al Azam, senior assistant superintend of police and investigation officer of the case filed with Fatullah police station, said after an investigation into the case, 17 drug traders were indicted in a money laundering case with Teknaf police station in Cox’s Bazar on August 29, 2017.
The home ministry’s listed drug trader Nurul Huq Bhutto, his elder brother Nur Muhammad and their father Ajahar Mia are among the 17 accused in the case. They were arrested later. All the accused made crores of taka from drug trade.
Bhotto used to move to new places every six to seven months. He made handsome donations to mosques located in the areas he stayed to earn people’s trust.
Based on the information extracted from the accused, police came to know about drug lord Afjal Hossain Emon, his wife Sadia Afroj and their son Salauddin alias Prince, and bKash agent Swapanand. All of them were arrested from Senpara Parbata in Mirpur recently.
Police also nabbed Raihan, Asaduzzaman and Swapn from Narsingdi, and Abbas from Keraniganj.
Financial transactions history of Nurul Huq Bhutto, Nur Muhammad and Ajahar Mia helped CID identify and capture drug ring leader Rani, Nayem Hossain, Ibrahim, Shahjalal and Nasir Uddin Sohel from Tongi in Gazipur.
Drug dealer Musa Mia was arrested from Brahmanbari and Abul Hossain alias Gold Abul from Joypurhat. CID sources said Gold Abul maintained a good relation with officer-in-charge of a local police station.
When CID went to arrest him, he phoned the OC of the police station to help him escape the arrest. CID, however, did not disclose the name of the police station and the OC.
On Monday and Tuesday, CID arrested Golam Faruk and his wife Anny from Badda in the capital. Cops said the couple allegedly amassed wealth and property worth around Tk 100 crore from the illegal drug trade.