Staff Reporter :
The Directorate of Enforcement (DE), a law enforcement agency and economic intelligence agency of India, conducted drives in at least nine places in West Bengal on Friday to find properties of Bangladeshi businessman and former NRB Global Bank Limited managing director Prasanta Kumar (PK) Halder.
The DE is responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crime in India.
Several Indian media reported that DE conducted the drives after it obtained information from Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission that PK Halder laundered huge money to India and built properties through his relatives in the neighbouring country.
An ACC director on Friday night told local media that they had sent a letter to DE in this regard and keep the matter secrete for the purpose of the investigation.
“We have not get any information yet though several Indian media reported that DE conducted raids and found several luxury houses and other properties in different parts of West Bengal,” the ACC official said.
According to the ACC, the commission so far issued notices to 33 individuals of the PK Halder syndicate to submit statements of their assets.
Among them, 13 are yet to submit statements and cases will be filed against them as well, he added.
The commission has also frozen the bank accounts of 83 individuals accused of being associates of PK Halder.
Moreover, assets worth Tk 1,000 crore have also been attached while travel
bans have been slapped against 64 accused, ACC said.
On January 5, 2021, the High Court slapped an international travel ban on 25 people, including the family members of PK Halder and SK Sur, a former deputy governor of the Bangladesh Bank, for their alleged connection with Halder.
According to the ACC charge sheet, PK Halder accumulated an illegal wealth of Tk 426 crore, laundered Canadian dollars to the tune of Tk 1.17 crore and was involved in suspicious transactions of about Tk 6,080 crore with various banks.
On October 22, 2019, the ACC also issued a travel ban on PK Halder, but he managed to flee the country through Benapole Land Port, said an ACC official.
