CID to handle case over seizure of Rs 27.2 million at Chittagong port

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has taken over the probe into the seizure of nearly 27.2 million Indian rupees smuggled into Bangladesh through the Chittagong port.

The case’s investigation officer Bandar Police Station’s Sub-Inspector Zahir Hossain handed over the documents to the CID office in the port city on Thursday afternoon.
 
“I handed the case documents over to CID Inspector Liton Dewan,” he told bdnews24.com.
 
On Tuesday, a Chittagong court allowed police five days to question five people arrested in connection with the case.
 
“They haven’t been taken into remand. CID will take them into remand as they will now do the investigation,” SI Hossain said.
 
CID’s Special Superintendent Mosharraf Hossain said their Organised Crime Unit would investigate the case.
 
“This is an economic crime and organised criminals of several countries are involved. This unit has experience in such investigations,” he said.
 
He added that Liton Dewan would lead the investigation.
 
The special superintendent of police said they had written to police showing interest in probing the case.
 
Chittagong Metropolitan Police’s Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operation) Debdas Bhattacharya told bdnews24.com that they handed over the documents following the protocol after the CID requested to run the investigation.
 
On Sep 20 night, Customs intelligence, based on a tip-off, seized a container, which was in a ship from United Arab Emirates, with nearly Rs 27.2 million placed in 16 boxes within four cartons. They also found 500 grams of gold ornaments.
 
The container where the Indian currency notes were found was marked as loaded with home appliances. 
The ship, which started from Dubai’s Port of Jebel Ali on Sep 12, reached Chittagong port on Sep 16.

Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation’s Assistant Revenue Officer Bidhan Kumar Sarkar filed the case at Bandar Police Station on Sep 22 accusing six people.
 
They are the container’s sender Bangladeshi expatriate in Dubai Shahiduzzaman, his brother Md Touhidul Alam, Clearing and Forwarding agent Flash Trade International’s Chairman ASM Sayem alias Shamimur Rahman, Managing Director Md Asadullah, its employee Md Ahammad Ullah and port worker Sheikh Saber.
 
Five of them were arrested on Sep 21 while Shahiduzzaman, who hails from Hathazari, is on the run.