Case filed against Dilip Agarwala over laundering Tk 678cr

The Financial Crime Unit of the CID has filed a case against Dilip Kumar Agarwala, owner of Diamond World, after finding preliminary evidence of laundering 678 crore taka earned illegally by collecting gold and diamonds through smuggling. The information was given in a press release signed by CID Special Superintendent of Police media Jashim Uddin Khan.

The statement said the CID began an inquiry on September 29 last year to review the financial transactions, documents, and bank accounts of Diamond World Limited. It found that the company earned illegal money by collecting gold and diamonds through smuggling from the local market. After preliminary evidence was found, a money laundering case worth 678 crore 19 lakh 14 thousand 14 taka was filed against Dilip Kumar Agarwala at Gulshan Police Station on Monday.

The statement further said that as the owner of Diamond World and Diamond World Limited, Dilip Agarwala had long been laundering money and smuggling under the cover of the gold and diamond business. From September 6 2006 to February 8 2024, the company legally imported gold bars, jewellery, loose diamonds, and various products worth 38 crore 47 lakh 48 thousand taka through LC. During the same period, more than 678 crore taka worth of gold and diamonds was collected from the local market through purchase, exchange, or transformation. However, the company could not show the CID valid documents for the source or suppliers of these products. Therefore, it was initially assumed that these were brought into the country through smuggling.

The CID also said that after checking the documents relating to the transfer or use of wealth and money earned through smuggling, and after finding preliminary evidence of money laundering, the investigation report was submitted to the Additional IGP of CID. Later, approval to file the case was given on November 16. As the case falls under the CID’s schedule, the CID itself will conduct the investigation. Further action will be taken according to the law after checking the relevant documents, bank transactions, and statements of the involved persons.