ED raids 10 locations in Bengal in multi-crore Bangladesh bank fraud

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday raided more than 10 locations in North and South 24 Parganas of Bengal to nab three men who, along with their associates, cheated multiple banks in Bangladesh of several hundred crore Bangladeshi taka and siphoned off the money to India.

The prime suspects are Bangladeshi nationals Proshanta Kumar Halder, Pritish Kumar Halder and Pranesh Kumar Halder, the ED said in a statement. All the suspects had fraudulently obtained Indian citizenship papers.

“The money siphoned from Bangladesh was used for buying a huge quantity of land and property in Bengal and Kolkata,” an ED official said seeking anonymity.

“The money was taken as loan from various banks by companies that only exist on paper. Realising that they had been cheated, the banks informed the financial intelligence unit of the Bangladesh police that subsequently approached the Indian government,” the officer added.

Proshanta Kumar Halder has been living in Bengal posing as an Indian citizen. He used the name Shibshankar Halder after procuring a ration card issued by the Bengal government, Indian voter ID card as well as PAN and Aadhar card, the ED statement said. His associates also managed to get similar documents, the agency found during investigation.

ED officials found that the suspects had set up companies in India on the basis of these documents and also purchased immovable property at various places, including Kolkata.

The money embezzled in Bangladesh was siphoned to other countries as well, the statement said.