The Central Intelligence Cell under the National Board of Revenue is set to investigate money laundering cases involving tax.

The revenue authority gave the responsibility to CIC through an order on October 2 and directed the cell to take all required measures to investigate the cases under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2015.

"This will allow us to probe all sorts of money laundering issues involving tax, VAT and customs duty and file cases against the offenders," said a senior official of CIC seeking to remain unnamed.

The NBR assigned the task to CIC after the government amended the law in November last year. The revision empowered the NBR to investigate predicate offence related to money laundering.

Prior to the revision, the Anti-Corruption Commission had the authority to investigate money laundering cases having relation with tax matters.

The NBR established CIC in 2004 to prevent tax evasion.

Until fiscal 2013-14, the CIC detected tax evasion of Tk 1,581 crore by individuals and firms and collected Tk 725 crore from the tax dodgers, according to a previous report by the CIC.