Al Amin :
China BDL, an importer in Narayonganj, allegedly laundered around Tk 226 crore in the name of importing capital machineries for poultry feed by giving fake declaration.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has given permission of filling case against the owner of China BDL, C & F agent and other related persons under the Money Laundering Prevention Act-2012 accusing money laundering on September 30.
NBR sources said Henan Anhui Agro of Khilkhet and Agro BD & JP of Keraniganj have imported 12 containers of capital machineries of poultry feed in 2016. The exporter of these products was Jamraj Industries of China. Customs intelligence seized the containers on charge of false declaration and the containers were opened for physical examination in presence of various agencies and found cigarettes, LED TVs, photocopiers and foreign liquor, although the importers have declared to import machineries. The two importers had earlier released some 78 containers in the same declaration.
Similarly, China BDL in Nandalalpur area of Pagla in Narayanganj imported 25 containers of capital machineries of animal feed at different times in 2015. Its exporters were Istanbul Trading in Singapore and Rapati Enterprise in China. The import price of the goods was $166634 (Tk 1.41 crore).
The members of the customs intelligence, however, did not find the existence of the China BDL, except a signboard and boundary wall, in the Nandalalpur area.
The identification card of Suruj Mia, the owner of the China BDL, is also fake. Even, the local Union Parishad chairman and the land owner of the addressed do not know the company and the person.
The customs intelligence team thinks that the company was formed to launder money as everything of the company, including bank accounts, national identification card, VAT registration, board of investment registrations, was fake.
The company opened bank account by submitting false documents to import goods and also gave 100 percent margin abnormally. Surprisingly, the bank identifier of the Henan Anhui Agro and Agro BD & JP and China BDL is the same person named Shahidul Alam.
China BDL was also registered at Aliganj Circle under Dhaka South VAT Commissionerate but would not submit returns. VAT registration number was taken as supplier and importer. Latter, the company took Advance Trade VAT (ATV) facilities by introducing itself as “manufacturer” unusually to evade vat.
As per the existing law, manufacturing companies do not have to pay ATV for importing of raw materials and capital machineries.
On the other hand, no company named China BDL has taken registration as a joint venture or 100 percent foreign investment industry from BIDA.
After investigation all the cases, the customs intelligence thinks that around Tk 226 crore has been laundered by the China BDL by giving false import declaration and sought permission of NBR chairman’s for filling case under the Money Laundering Prevention Act-2012. NBR gave the permission on September 30.
The investigation report of the Customs Intelligence recommended only for taking action against the importers and C&F agent. The report, however, did not say clearly about Shahidul Alam, the concerned bank officer and account identifier and the customs officials who were involved in clearing the goods at Chattagram Customs.
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) has filed as many as 82 such cases but is yet to make any concrete breakthrough in them.
In its report in March, the Global Financial Integrity (GFI) claimed that Bangladesh lost Tk 63,924 crore ($ 7.53 billion) a year between 2008 and 2017 to trade misinvoicing.
China BDL, an importer in Narayonganj, allegedly laundered around Tk 226 crore in the name of importing capital machineries for poultry feed by giving fake declaration.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has given permission of filling case against the owner of China BDL, C & F agent and other related persons under the Money Laundering Prevention Act-2012 accusing money laundering on September 30.
NBR sources said Henan Anhui Agro of Khilkhet and Agro BD & JP of Keraniganj have imported 12 containers of capital machineries of poultry feed in 2016. The exporter of these products was Jamraj Industries of China. Customs intelligence seized the containers on charge of false declaration and the containers were opened for physical examination in presence of various agencies and found cigarettes, LED TVs, photocopiers and foreign liquor, although the importers have declared to import machineries. The two importers had earlier released some 78 containers in the same declaration.
Similarly, China BDL in Nandalalpur area of Pagla in Narayanganj imported 25 containers of capital machineries of animal feed at different times in 2015. Its exporters were Istanbul Trading in Singapore and Rapati Enterprise in China. The import price of the goods was $166634 (Tk 1.41 crore).
The members of the customs intelligence, however, did not find the existence of the China BDL, except a signboard and boundary wall, in the Nandalalpur area.
The identification card of Suruj Mia, the owner of the China BDL, is also fake. Even, the local Union Parishad chairman and the land owner of the addressed do not know the company and the person.
The customs intelligence team thinks that the company was formed to launder money as everything of the company, including bank accounts, national identification card, VAT registration, board of investment registrations, was fake.
The company opened bank account by submitting false documents to import goods and also gave 100 percent margin abnormally. Surprisingly, the bank identifier of the Henan Anhui Agro and Agro BD & JP and China BDL is the same person named Shahidul Alam.
China BDL was also registered at Aliganj Circle under Dhaka South VAT Commissionerate but would not submit returns. VAT registration number was taken as supplier and importer. Latter, the company took Advance Trade VAT (ATV) facilities by introducing itself as “manufacturer” unusually to evade vat.
As per the existing law, manufacturing companies do not have to pay ATV for importing of raw materials and capital machineries.
On the other hand, no company named China BDL has taken registration as a joint venture or 100 percent foreign investment industry from BIDA.
After investigation all the cases, the customs intelligence thinks that around Tk 226 crore has been laundered by the China BDL by giving false import declaration and sought permission of NBR chairman’s for filling case under the Money Laundering Prevention Act-2012. NBR gave the permission on September 30.
The investigation report of the Customs Intelligence recommended only for taking action against the importers and C&F agent. The report, however, did not say clearly about Shahidul Alam, the concerned bank officer and account identifier and the customs officials who were involved in clearing the goods at Chattagram Customs.
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) has filed as many as 82 such cases but is yet to make any concrete breakthrough in them.
In its report in March, the Global Financial Integrity (GFI) claimed that Bangladesh lost Tk 63,924 crore ($ 7.53 billion) a year between 2008 and 2017 to trade misinvoicing.
