Building an empire on smuggled gold
Land sprawling across acres, mansions fit for royalty, and a fleet of gleaming cars -- the "brothers in crime" of the "Bhai-Bhai" syndicate have built an empire by smuggling gold through the Benapole border.
The kingpins own land properties worth over Tk 7 crore. Not to mention the luxury apartments and posh cars they had.
Financial Crime Squad of the Organised Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) got a trace of their spoils after a nine-month-long investigation.
On February 4, the CID team applied to Jashore Senior Special Judge Court to confiscate the property. It also requested to freeze transactions of 46 bank accounts maintained by nine members of the syndicate.
Following the application, the court had already taken steps to seize the property and freeze accounts.
"We have got a trace of the property and bank account details while investigating a money laundering case filed against the gold smuggling syndicate," Md Moniruzzaman, an inspector of the financial crime squad of CID, told The Daily Star yesterday.
"The accused will not be able to enjoy or transfer these properties."
On June 22 last year, The Daily Star published a report about the syndicate's activities with the headline "Brothers in Crime."
The money laundering case was filed on June 15 of last year against the syndicate members.
The syndicate members are -- Oliyar Rahman and Nasir Uddin, two brothers at Sharsha upazila of Jashore; Ramzan Ali and Selim Hossain, two brothers from the same area; and Ruhul Amin and Rezaul Karim, two brothers from Cumilla's Daudkandi.
Besides the six brothers from three families, CID also found the involvement of Nasir Uddin's wife Bilkis Khatun; and their associates -- Nazmul Hossain, a resident of Sharsha upazila of Jashore; and Anisur Rahman, a resident of Cumilla's Daudkandi.
According to investigators, they are members of an international racket involved in smuggling gold from Dubai to Dhaka and Chattogram. Then the gold was smuggled to India again via Benapole border.
An Indian national, Goutam, maintains the syndicate activities in India, they said.
The Daily Star obtained a copy of the CID's investigation report that described the details of the property.
Syndicate member Nasir Uddin owns approximately 261-decimal land across various areas of Jashore districts valued at over Tk 5.51 crore while his wife Bilkis possesses 25-decimal land in another area of Jashore worth about Tk 49 lakh. Nasir's brother Oliyar owns property worth Tk 65,000.
Rezaul owns approximately 7.50-decimal land across various areas of Cumilla, valued at around Tk 4.80 lakh, while his brother Ruhul possesses a private car worth approximately Tk 30 lakh.
Ramzan owns 14-decimal land and property in Jashore and Gazipur valued at around Tk 1.65 crore, along with a private car worth approximately Tk 30 lakh, while his brother Selim possesses 15-decimal land and properties in another area of Jashore, as well as a private car of similar value.
CID also found two private cars owned by the syndicate members Anisur and Nazmul, which were worth around Tk 30 lakh each.
CID Inspector Moniruzzaman said, "There may be more. We will seize their other assets if we come to know of them."
Sources said the syndicate members are also involved in cattle and dollar smuggling.
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