BB reserve theft : CID finds malware access to system Jan 19

Criminal Investigation Department officials on Monday said that they identified a malware accessed to the Bangladesh Bank’s computer system on January 19 and four-five central bank officials might have been involved in the theft of $101 million from its reserve with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
CID cyber forensic team suspected that the malware still existed in the central bank’s information and communication technology system posing risk.
‘A malware is identified. It first accessed to the system on January 19. We are now examining its origin and how did it access,’ said an investigator.
On Sunday, CID sought ‘immediate’ assistance from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation to identify the ‘hackers’ and their origin, in order to stop ‘recurrence’ of such digital theft.
CID investigators on Monday said that they started analysing the data collected from the central bank since March 15, when the bank filed a complaint against unknown accused after 40-day of the theft.
The investigators are now working to identify the ultimate beneficiaries in the central bank by tracing back the laundered money.
In nine hours between February 4 and February 5, $101 million was stolen online from the Bangladesh Bank’s reserve with the New York bank through Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation in the Philippines and Pan Asia Banking Corporation in Sri Lanka.
A receiving bank in Sri Lanka also rejected a $20 million transfer because the beneficiary’s name was misspelt.
The remaining $81 million was transferred to four accounts with a Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation branch in the Philippines, and quickly transferred onward to a fraudulent account at the same branch. With the help of a remittance company, the funds were then converted to pesos for laundering at Philippine local casinos.
Portion of the money laundered in the Philippines was eventually remitted to Hong Kong and other countries.
Another investigator said that they got enough evidences that ‘four-five officials’ might have been involved in the heist. ‘And we are collecting corroborative evidence against them through foreign agencies.’
A third investigator, CID additional deputy inspector general Mohammad Shah Alam, said that they were seeking assistance from the agencies concerned in several countries.
He also said that the investigators also were ‘analysing’ evidence and ‘interviewing’ officials at the bank.
Until evening, the CID officials interrogated a number of central bank officials at its headquarters.
On March 15, central bank account and budgeting department joint director Jubayer Bin Huda filed the case with Motijheel police station under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2012 for laundering the money, the Information Communication and Technology for hacking, and the Penal Code for the theft of the $101 million.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.com