Photo : Collected
A case of intricate fraudulent activities involving the misuse of five Letters of Credit (LCs), counterfeit bond licenses for importing goods, and deceitful redemption of items at the duty-free facility within Adamji Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Narayanganj has surfaced.
The perpetrator, identified as Farooq Bin Zaman Babar, also known as Farhad Ibn Zaman, cunningly utilised falsified national identity documentation while initiating LCs and establishing a bank account.
Following investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), it was revealed that Farooq Bin Zaman Babar engaged in fraud and forgery practices. His actions implicated two Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) agents, alongside ten customs officials, in his illicit endeavors.
Subsequently, a charge sheet (No. 6) was presented to the court on December 17. This legal action targeted all thirteen accused individuals involved in the nefarious scheme.
ACC Deputy Director Moinul Hasan Rowsoni filed the charge sheet.
As per the revelations by ACC, it has come to light that Farooq bin Zaman Babar, alias Farhad bin Zaman, is entangled in multiple fraud cases registered across various police stations.
The accused was known to operate the guise of Farhad Ibn Zaman, orchestrated scheme to evade duties amounting to Tk 1 crore 85 lakh 60 thousand by illicitly clearing goods from both Adamji EPZ and Chittagong port through duty-free facilities.
Upon scrutiny conducted by PCPR (Previous Conviction and Previous Record), it was established that no individual by the name of Farhad Ibn Zaman resided at the provided address.
Further investigation unveiled that the account opening application forms retrieved from Social Islami Bank Savar branch and National Bank Babubazar branch were filed under the name of M/s SM Poly Carton and Packaging Limited, attributed to the accused Farhad Ibn Zaman.
An analysis of the national identity card presented by Farhad Ibn Zaman revealed discrepancies, indicating that the card belonged to an individual named Miladunnabi.
The information, address, and photograph submitted by Farhad Ibn Zaman was different on the card, showing the card was a counterfeit.
To ascertain the genuine identity of Farhad Ibn Zaman, Forensic Department of ACC undertook the collection and review of registration information associated with the mobile number provided in the application form used to open a bank account. Upon investigation, it was discovered that two mobile numbers were registered under the National Identity Card number 19805114350299116, associated with Farhad Ibn Zaman.
Furthermore, an in-depth examination of this identity card revealed notable similarities between Farooq bin Zaman Babar and the accused Farhad bin Zaman in terms of physical appearance, date of birth, as well as the names of their respective wife and mother.
Farooq bin Zaman Babar's background information reveals his father's name as Siraj Ujzaman and his mother's name as Syeda Jahan Afroz. His permanent address is identified as village Char Mohammadpur, union Hazirpara, post office Keramatganj, thana Lakshmipur Sadar (now Chandraganj), and district Lakshmipur.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) issued a notice requesting the statement of Farooq bin Zaman Babar, yet he failed to provide any statement despite receiving the notice. In an effort to establish whether Farooq bin Zaman Babar was indeed the accused individual operating under the guise of Farhad Bin Zaman, original copies of the application forms for opening three bank accounts were forwarded to the CID's handwriting wing for expert analysis.
According to the findings of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), it was determined that the accused individual, known as Farhad Ibn Zaman, is purportedly the proprietor of M/s Poly Carton and Packaging. Conversely, Farooq bin Zaman Babar is identified as the owner of M/s MM Trading Corporation.
Further investigation uncovered that Farooq bin Zaman Babar, also operating under the alias Farhad Ibn Zaman, presides as the owner of M/s Poly Carton and Packaging Limited. This company, involved in the importation of goods, was exploited through the creation of a counterfeit bond license in the fabricated name of Farhad Ibn Zaman. This fraudulent scheme enabled Farooq Bin Zaman Babar to illegitimately exploit advantageous import privileges through deceptive means.
In his endeavor to leverage the counterfeit bond license, Farooq, using false identity of Farhad Ibn Zaman, initiated a sequence of fraudulent actions.
He opened a bank account as collateral against the fabricated bond license and proceeded to apply for nine (LCs at Savar branch of Social Islami Bank, presenting falsified national identity cards and associated documentation.
The Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) Department at the Head Office of Social Islami Bank sanctioned the approval of these nine LCs.
Farooq Bin Zaman Babar, under the alias Farhad Ibn Zaman, furnished counterfeit documentation such as Bond War House License, Accepted Bills, LC Copy, LCA Copy, Commercial Invoice, Delivery Challan, Packing List, Certificate of Origin, and Approved Bill of Exchange to facilitate the redemption of the imported goods.
Collaborating through his Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) agent, Adamjee of Narayanganj, Farooq Bin Zaman Babar submitted the EPZ Customs Bond to both the Commissionerate and
Chittagong Customs House, further perpetuating the fraudulent activity. Additionally, Md. Khairul Islam, proprietor of C&F agent M/s Islam Associates, and Md. Alauddin, director of Comilla Shipping Agency, were involved in submitting the forged bond license and related documents to the customs authorities, unwittingly contributing to the chain of deceit.
The individuals involved in assisting Farooq Bin Zaman Babar, also known as Farhad Bin Zaman, in the fraudulent activities have themselves committed punishable offenses by aiding in the embezzlement of money.
Notably, Alauddin resides in the Sagaria area of Hatia upazila in Noakhali district, while Khairul's residence is in Hamidpur village of Ghatail police station in Tangail.
Under the legal framework, customs officers are vested with specific powers and responsibilities, including the obligation to scrutinize and verify the accuracy of bond licenses filed by importers or their representatives. They are also entrusted with monitoring the availability and authenticity of bond licenses before the release of imported duty-free goods from the port.
However, certain officers, namely Assistant Revenue Officer Md. Fariduddin, Revenue Officer Benu Ranjan Pal, Assistant Revenue Officer Khandaker Golam Mortaza, Assistant Revenue Officer Jahangir Alam from Adamjee EPZ Customs Bond Commissionerate, and Assistant Revenue Officer Ratan Kumar Maitra, Revenue Officer AKM Mojibur Rahman, Assistant Revenue Officer Rezaul Karim Sardar, Assistant Revenue Officer Moshammat Rukhsana Begum, Revenue Officer Md. Keramat Ali Fakir, Assistant Revenue Officer Md. Salim Chowdhury from Chittagong Custom House, were implicated in approving the release of goods by signing the bill of entry without properly verifying the accuracy of the bond license submitted by Farooq Bin Zaman Babar alias Farhad Ibn Zaman.
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