Out of the 235 legal money exchange institutions in the country, more than a thousand other money exchanges are trading illegally without permission. Apart from this, there are numerous other organizations that are illegally trading domestic and foreign currencies over the phones. On Tuesday (January 17) from morning to noon, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police raided three illegal money exchange offices and two Ferrari establishments simultaneously in five places of the capital.
CID chief Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia conveyed the information in a press conference organized at Malibagh CID office on Wednesday (January 18) afternoon.
He said, whoever is behind the illegal money exchange organizations operating in institutional or non-institutional structure will be found and legal action will be taken.
The CID chief said that a total of 14 people were arrested from JMCH Private Limited in Gulshan, Alam and Brothers in Tokyo Square in Mohammadpur and Timur Money Exchange in Ashkona Muktijoddha Market in Uttara and two Ferrari companies in the operation.
The arrested are Abu Talha alias Taharat Islam Toha (32), Asadul Sheikh (32), Hasan Molla (19), Abdul Quddus (24), Hasnat A Chowdhury (46), Shamsul Huda Chowdhury alias Ripon (40), Suman Mia ( 30), Tapan Kumar Das (45), Abdul Quddus (32), Kamruzzaman Russell (37), Moniruzzaman (40), Newaz Biswas, Abul Hasnat (40) and Shahjahan Sarkar (45).
It is reported that a total of 1 crore 99 lakh 61 thousand 376 taka including foreign currencies of 19 countries worth 1 crore 11 lakh 19 thousand 826 taka were seized from the arrested accused. The arrested were buying and selling foreign currency without the permission (license) of Bangladesh Bank through their own offices and floating communications in different areas of the capital.
The CID chief said that during the initial interrogation, they admitted that every company used to illegally trade foreign currency worth an average of 70 to 75 lakh taka per day. Proceedings are pending under the Special Powers Act, 1974 against those arrested. There are more than 1,000 illegal money exchange establishments across the country.
If a person can get money or foreign currency or dollar just by talking over the phone, then why should he go to the bank? However, the process is illegal. In this case, there is a question about the quality of the bank’s service. Are you giving any urge to increase the service? When asked, he said that those expatriates send money at home when sending money to the country. In this case, time is saved and no harassment or additional charges are required. People of the country get money sitting at home. But it is illegal. We have to work in the interest of our country – added Mohammad Ali Mia.