Two mobile financial services agents allegedly involved in illegal hundi transaction using bKash have been arrested from Noakhali by a team of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police.

They are Shahadat Hossain (23) and Balai Chandra (26), both residents of South Rezzakpur of Noakhali, said a press release.

Tk 19,000 cash, including agent SIM, one laptop, seven mobile phones, pen drives, bank cheque books, ATM cards of the bank, were recovered from them, it said.

“Under the supervision and direction of the CID Chief, a team of CID’s Cyber Police Centre conducted a raid against MFS agents involved in illegally laundering money abroad through hundi in the early hours on Wednesday and arrested them,” said the press release.

During primary interrogation, Shahadat Hossain said his uncle and Qatar expatriate Monowar, Saudi expatriate Mizan and Hong Kong expatriate Momin, collected remittances abroad and instead of sending it to Bangladesh through official channels they kept the money with them and sent phone numbers to Shahadat through WhatsApp and Imo to send money using bKash.

After receiving instructions on WhatsApp and Imo from abroad, various individuals and organisations in Bangladesh deposited money in different bank accounts of Shahadat. He (Shahadat) withdrew the money deposited in the banks and collected the e-money through agent numbers of bKash.

Shahadat and Balai transferred the money to the bKash number of relatives of the expatriates living in different parts of Bangladesh as per the instructions of those living abroad, the release said.

This way, the gang has been laundering money abroad without bringing remittances to Bangladesh for a long time.

A case has been filed against them with Paltan Police Station under the Special Powers Act and the Digital Security Act, added the release.