Human Trafficking Proceeds: Papul, family made over Tk 355cr

Independent lawmaker Mohammad Shahid Islam Papul and his family members amassed more than Tk 355 crore mainly through human trafficking over the last several years.

The money was transacted through more than 500 bank accounts and Fixed Deposit Receipts (FDRs). Over Tk 130 crore is now available in these accounts.

The Criminal Investigation Department of Police has come up with the findings after a probe into the allegations of money laundering against the MP from Laxmipur-2 and his family members.

The CID yesterday filed a money laundering case against Papul, his daughter Wafa Islam, brother Kazi Badrul Alam Liton, sister-in-law Jesmin Prodhan, staffers Sadiqur Rahman Monir and Golam Mostafa, and two overseas employment agencies owned by Badrul and Jesmin.

This is the third case against the lawmaker and his family members.

"Over Tk 355 crore was transacted through more than 500 bank accounts and FDRs in the last several years. In its primary investigation, the CID found that the money was made through human trafficking," said Assistant Superintendent of Police Al-Amin Hossain of the CID's Financial Crime Unit, who filed the case with Paltan Police Station.

According to the case statement, Papul's associate Monir took Tk 5 to 7 lakh from each victim seeking overseas job through "Job Bank International" owned by Badrul.

The CID found that Tk 38.22 crore was transferred and withdrawn by Papul, Wafa and Jesmin from Monir's bank account with a state-run bank between 2016 and this year.

Though there were no business relations between Jesmin and Monir, Tk 17.48 crore was transferred to Jesmin's bank account from Monir's account. Monir also transferred Tk 1.18 crore to Papul's company Four Point Housing and Real State, it said.

"Jesmin's 38 bank accounts and FDRs were directly and indirectly controlled by Papul who transferred crores of taka to different bank accounts," the CID official told The Daily Star.

He also said they are investigating whether Papul's wife Selina Islam, also a lawmaker, had any involvement in it.

Al-Amin suspected that the accused may have more illegally amassed wealth. The prime accused, Papul, could possess illegal assets outside the country. Information regarding this will be obtained from financial intelligence units of foreign countries through mutual legal assistance requests.

"We will probe further to trace the money he [Papul] laundered abroad. We may seek court order for freezing his accounts and confiscating his properties," he added.

According to the case statement, Papul in his wealth statement mentioned that he has wealth worth Tk 41.07 crore, while his wife Selina claimed she has wealth worth Tk 64.51 crore and their daughter Wafa Tk 7.77 crore.

In her wealth statement, Papul's sister-in-law Jesmin said she possesses wealth worth Tk 30 lakh. However, the CID probe found that she has transacted Tk 164 crore through 38 bank accounts and FDRs against her name or her organisation's name.

Papul was arrested in Kuwait in early June and is now behind bars. He faces trial on the charges of human trafficking and money laundering.

He has been accused of taking up to 3,000 Kuwaiti dinars (around Tk 8 lakh) each from migrant workers, mostly Bangladeshis, for sending them to Kuwait.

The Kuwaiti authorities shut down a big recruitment company jointly owned by Papul and a Kuwaiti citizen.

On July 7, Kuwait-returnee Abdul Alim from Naogaon filed a human trafficking case against Papul with Motijheel Police Station.

Alim said he paid Job Bank International Tk 7 lakh for a job in Kuwait with a monthly salary of Tk 35,000. Upon his arrival in Kuwait, he was given a job in a cleaning company owned by Papul. Alim was forced to work 16 hours a day and got Tk 22,000-27,000 a month.

Another Kuwait-returnee, Rubel Haq, alleged that he paid Tk 5 lakh to the same agency for a job in the Middle East country. But when he arrived there, he was not given the promised job. Instead, he along with 10 other Bangladeshis was sent back by the Kuwait authorities for not having legal documents.

Based on the allegations, the CID arrested Job Bank International Manager Golam Mostafa who later confessed before a court that following instructions from Papul and Badrul, he took Tk 5 to 7 lakh each from many with promises of jobs in Kuwait. He then transferred the money to the two brothers.

The Anti-Corruption Commission on November 11 filed a case against Papul, his wife, daughter and sister-in-law for laundering Tk 148 crore.

HC ORDER

The High Court yesterday ordered Papul's wife Selina and daughter Wafa to surrender before the lower court concerned by December 28 in the Tk 148.41 crore laundering case.

The court gave the order after virtually hearing a petition filed by the two for including the word "vacation" in its earlier order.

Khurshid Alam Khan, counsel for the ACC, told this newspaper that the HC on December 10 rejected a bail petition filed by the two and ordered them to surrender before the court of metropolitan sessions judge in Dhaka.

The accused went to the court concerned on December 20 to surrender in line with the HC directive. But it did not accept their surrender as the HC order mentioned that they have to surrender to the court of metropolitan sessions judge, not to a vacation court, he said.

Selina and Wafa later submitted a petition to the HC for including the word "vacation" in its order, mentioned the lawyer.

The lower courts across the country are on 15-day annual vacation from December 

17, added Khurshid.

In the case statement, the ACC said Papul deposited Tk 148.41 crore to different bank accounts of his sister-in-law Jesmin. Selina and Wafa also transferred their ill-gotten money to Jesmin's accounts.

The ACC also brought charges of illegally accumulating Tk 2.31 crore against the main accused, Jesmin.

The allegations surfaced after Kuwaiti newspapers reported in February that Papul was running a human trafficking racket in that country. The reports said the two Bangladeshi lawmakers and their daughter held key positions in three major companies that sent over 20,000 Bangladeshi workers to Kuwait in exchange for an amount believed to be at least Tk 1,391.6 crore.

On November 26, Selina, Wafa and Jesmin filed two separate petitions with the HC seeking anticipatory bail in the case.

In the petitions, they said the case was filed against them with malafide intention to harass them.