The West Bengal state’s Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has conducted search operations at 11 locations connected to Bangladeshi nationals Proshanta Kumar Halder, Pritish Kumar Halder, and their friends. During these searches, Proshanta Kumar Halder and his five other colleagues were apprehended. Proshanta Kumar Halder was discovered using the guise of Shibshankar Halder, an Indian citizen. During searches, it came to light that he and his coworkers had gotten a number of official documents fraudulently, including an Indian voter identification card, a PAN, an Aadhar card, and a ration card from the State of West Bengal.
The ED has confirmed that these Bangladeshi nationals have also been able to register firms in India using false identities and have even bought real estate in West Bengal.
As Proshanta Kumar Halder has been found to be charged with approximately 10000 Crore Bangladesh Taka Bank fraud in Bangladesh and is alleged to have syphoned off money outside of Bangladesh to various countries, it has also been revealed that the subject case is an offence of Cross Border Implication under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. He was discovered in possession of a Grenada passport in addition to passports from Bangladesh and India. Additionally, it has come to light that Proshanta Kumar Halder has been the subject of an Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN).
Under the PMLA, 2002, ED has detained all 6 suspects, including the plot’s primary organiser Proshanta Kumar Halder alias Shibashankar Halder. The following information about the people that were arrested:
- Proshanta Kumar Halder alias Prashanta Halder alias Shib Shankar Halder;
- Swapan Maitra alias Swapan Mistry;
- Uttam Maitra alias Uttam Mistry;
- Imam Hossian alias Imon Halder;
- Amana Sultana alias Sharmee Halder and
- Pranesh Kumar Halder.
The Ld. Special Court (PMLA) received all the detained individuals and remanded 5 of the accused individuals to enforcement custody and 1 accused individual to judicial detention. Further research is now being conducted.
