Money laundering: ACC sends suspects’ list to Interpol

The Anti-Corruption Commission or ACC has solicited the Interpol’s help to arrest at least seven people who are staying abroad allegedly after laundering money from Bangladesh.

ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood informed journalists about the move at the commission’s headquarters in Dhaka on Tuesday amid discussions over reports that a huge amount of money has been smuggled out of Bangladesh in past few years.

“We have lists ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood (File photo)of 60 to 70 people. One of the lists with the names of seven to eight people on it has been sent to Interpol. The others will be sent as well,” he said when a reporter asked him about the steps taken against money-laundering suspects.

He declined to reveal the identities of the suspects. Doing so would lead them to change location, he said.

“We don’t collect this type of information. We basically see the crimes,” the ACC chief said when asked about the political identities of the suspects.

He had said last month that the commission would send a team to Singapore as part of efforts to “retrieve” money laundered from Bangladesh and catch the culprits staying there.

But the global outbreak of the coronavirus, which has affected five Bangladeshi migrant workers in Singapore, stalled the move even after the ACC had made preparations for the tour, Iqbal said.

The ACC was not thinking about taking steps against traders who have hiked prices of things like masks and hand sanitizers that are necessary to prevent coronavirus infection.

“The government has taken adequate measures. Steps are being taken through mobile courts. We will move if we see any syndicate is making money illegally by holding the people hostage even after the government tries to stop abnormal hikes in medicine or equipment prices,” he said.