The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed a case against Nafisa Kamal’s company Orbitals International and seven other individuals and organisations on charges of laundering Tk 33.44 crore in connection with an alleged manpower export syndicate to Malaysia.

The case was filed with the Gulshan Police Station under the Money Laundering Prevention Act on Monday, according to police sources.

Preliminary CID investigations revealed that the accused collected around Tk 33.44 crore by charging Bangladeshi workers additional fees beyond the government-fixed rate for employment in Malaysia.

Besides Nafisa Kamal, owner of Orbitals International, the accused include Hafizul Bari Mohammad Lutfor Rahman, owner of Irving Enterprise; Rafiqul Islam Patowary, owner of Aman Enterprise; Jasim Uddin Ahmed, owner of Ahad International; Md Akhtar Hossain, owner of Akhtar Recruitment Agency; Shiuli Begum, owner of Malaysia Bangladesh Holdings (Pvt) Ltd; Kawsar Mridha, owner of Mridha International Corporation; Mohammad Bashir, owner of Rabbi International.

According to the investigation, between 2022 and 2024, the accused allegedly sent 3,111 Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia through collusive arrangements. Although the government-set migration cost per worker was Tk 78,990, the agencies charged about Tk 150,000 each, nearly double the official amount.

In addition, each worker was reportedly charged an extra Tk 36,500 for expenses such as passport processing, COVID-19 testing, medical checkups, and uniforms, all outside the official cost structure. As a result, each worker allegedly paid Tk 107,510 more than the approved rate.

CID investigators said there is evidence that a portion of the collected money was laundered abroad through various channels.

The case is being investigated by the CID’s Financial Crime Unit, which is currently tracing the movable and immovable assets of the accused across the country. The agency also said operations are underway to identify and arrest other members involved in the syndicate.