Gandaria AL leaders Enamul, Rupam prosecuted over seizure of cash, gold

The Rapid Action Battalion filed two cases with Wari police station Wednesday evening against ruling Awami League’s Gandaria thana unit vice-president Enamul Haque Enu, joint general secretary Rupam Bhuiyan and unnamed others under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2012 and the Arms Act 1878.

The cases were filed in connection with the seizure of Tk 5.05 crore in cash and 730 bharis of gold from the houses of Enamul, his associates and employees in the capital’s Gandaria, Dholaikhal and Narinda areas in a daylong operation by the battalion, Wari police officer-in-charge Azizur Rahman said. 

Battalion officials said that they also seized six firearms and ammunition from the houses of Enamul and his employee Abul Kalam in the raids.

As part of the ongoing crackdown on ‘casinos’ and illegal gambling, the battalion raided the house of Enamul, also a shareholder of Wanderers Club, at Banianagar.

Preparations were on to file more cases, battalion officials said.

The battalion personnel seized Tk 1.05 crore in cash, 730 bharis of gold ornaments, three shotguns and two revolvers from three vaults in two flats of Enamul’s house.

Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, senior assistant director of the battaliuon’s legal and media wing, told New Age Tuesday night that none was arrested in the raid.

The battalion also raided one of the flats of Enamul’s brother Rupam Bhuiyan, joint general secretary of Gandaria AL.  Enamul is now staying abroad while Rupam has gone into hiding, according to the local police officials.

The two brothers were partners in the casino operation at Dhaka Wanderers Club in Motijheel area, which was raided and sealed off in the past week.

The elite force members in another raid on the house of Enamul’s employee Abul Kalam at Dholaikhal seized Tk 2 crore in cash from a vault.

The battalion members seized another Tk 2 crore in cash from a vault in the house of Enamul’s close aide Harun on Sharat Gupta Road at Narinda.

The government, meanwhile, asked the immigration police to remain alert so that the Dhaka South Juba League president Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat could not leave the country.

The whereabouts of Samrat, who allegedly runs casino-like gambling centres in the capital, has been unknown since September 18, when the battalion started raiding gambling centres.

His close fellow Khalid Mahmud Bhuiyan, organising secretary of the same organisation unit, was arrested on September 18 and now was in police custody for interrogation.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net