Staff Reporter :
A team of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) led by additional Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Shah Alam visited Bangladesh Bank to investigate into the bank’s $101 million cyber heist from the US Federal Reserve Bank in New York.
They went to BB on Wednesday morning.
On the first day of its inquiry into the $101 heist, the CID team quizzed the central bank officials and collected various information from computers of its server.
The CID was given the onus of investigation into the incident after the central bank filed a case with Motijheel Police Station in the city on Wednesday afternoon.
Later, the case was shifted to the CID in the evening.
Briefing reporters at the CID headquarters, its Special Super (Organised Crimes) Abdullahel Baki said the information gathered from the BB officials and employees will be scrutinised to ascertain whether anyone of them was involved in the scam.
Replying to a question, he said the investigators did not interrogate the BB officials considering them as suspects; rather they were questioned taking into consideration that they might provide some information in this regard. “We’ll also collect information from the computers of the server,” he added.
Baki said around 20 CID officials have been involved in the investigation process and each official has been assigned with different task. More officials may be assigned if necessary, he added.
The CID Special Super also noted that the assigned officials tried to identify if there was any default weakness in the process.
The investigators will also visit three other countries – the USA, the Philippines and Sri Lanka-involved in the scam.
“If necessary, we’ll also communicate with other agencies, including Interpol, maintaining necessary formalities,” he said.
Replying to another query, Baki said the present and formal BB officials might be interrogated for the sake of investigation.
A CID official preferring anonymity told The New Nation on Wednesday night that they have started the investigation giving emphasis on the electronic evidence in connection with the heist.
“It’s not an ordinary case. So, whatever we will do, we will do it on the basis of evidence. If necessary, former governor Dr Atiur Rahman and deputy governors Nazneen Sultana and Abul Quasem would also be questioned,” he added.
According to him, though the hacking originated from the ‘back of the dealing room’ of the central bank, someone at the information technology department is also involved in the incident.
They have already been confirmed after examining the electronic evidence.
Usually, detectives apply different strategies to extract proper information from the accused. The CID officials said they would also adopt the same strategies to find out the truth from the arrested persons.
They said that they got all kinds of directives from the government. Now, they are proceeding in their own way.
Another CID official said that they (CID) have already detained four BB officials for questioning in connection with the stealing of the bank money.
When asked, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told The New Nation on Wednesday night that a number of units of law enforcing agencies would work in coordination. The objective of the agencies would be to find out the mystery behind the incident.
“The Home Ministry has already given them necessary directives in this regard,” he added.
