In less than a year casino godfathers have smuggled an estimated thousand crore taka abroad through various illegal channels, including hundis. The financial detectives of various law enforcing agencies have prepared a preliminary list of 36 people, including a dozen Jubo League leaders. Many of them have bought flats or deposited the money from casinos in banks situated abroad, including in the UK, Singapore, Australia and Malaysia. Some have even used the smuggled money to invest in business abroad.
In addition, detectives have discovered information that several of these godfathers have regularly sent money to top criminals abroad to keep their casino trade running smoothly. These matters are being investigated seriously. At the same time the government has taken several initiatives to bring the smuggled money back into the country. Before that, sources said, the accused would be sued under the Money Laundering Act.
According to sources, from the initial list of the godfathers it is being estimated that thousand crore taka has been smuggled out of the country by them. But the actual amount will be revealed once the investigations are completed. Arresting the godfathers and interrogating them will also reveal the names of the big-shot criminals involved in illegal trades. Sources estimate that the amount of money smuggled will increase manifold after investigation.
Various sources from Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police said that the president of the city’s Young Man’s Club of Fakirapool, Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan, arrested Jubo league leader (newly expelled), Kalabagan Club President, Krishak League leader Shafiqul Alam Firoz and Director of the Mohammedan Sporting Club and Director of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan gave extensive information on casino money being smuggling abroad.
Already, Lokman has admitted to RAB about depositing 41 crore taka in Commonwealth and ANZ Bank in Australia. Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan admitted to smuggling casino money abroad but did not give the total amount. However, according to detectives, the smuggled money is no less than 100 crore taka. On the other hand, detectives initially found evidence that Gendaria Awami League Vice-President Enamul Haque Enu and Joint General Secretary Rupan Bhuiyan smuggled out at least 150 crore taka abroad which they crosschecked in many ways.
Detectives involved in the investigation said that Khaled, who was arrested during interrogation, gave interesting information about the daily income of the casinos of Dhaka, money sharing and smuggling of money through various means. He also mentioned several important leaders who directly and indirectly assist in running casino businesses.
Detectives also revealed that while many of the Nepali worked on monthly wages at the clubhouse casinos, some of them operated their own casinos under contract. As a result, they themselves earned the profits of this illicit trade. They then sent the money to their own country through Hundis. Detectives have already identified at least four of the hundi traders who sent the money abroad. They will be questioned soon, they said. Detectives have already identified at least eight of the hundi traders who sent the money abroad. They will be questioned soon, they said.