Dhaka, Mar 04 (V7N) – Imran Hossain, the chairman of Sadiq Agro, has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in a Tk 133 crore money laundering case. He was detained by Mohammadpur police and produced before the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court at 1:30 PM on Tuesday, where he was placed in court custody.

Imran Hossain gained notoriety last year due to the infamous ‘goat scandal’, which started when a 175-kg, 65-inch-tall ‘Punjabi Beetle’ goat at Sadiq Agro was priced at Tk 1.5 million. A young man named Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat’s interest in the goat led to widespread controversy, eventually exposing allegations of fraud, smuggling, and money laundering against the company.

CID spokesperson Additional Special Superintendent of Police Jasim Uddin Khan confirmed Imran’s arrest on Monday afternoon. According to CID sources, Sadiq Agro has been involved in:

  • Illegally importing and selling unauthorized Brahma breed cows
  • Smuggling small Bhutti cows from Bhutan and Nepal and misrepresenting them as foreign pedigree breeds
  • Smuggling cattle from Thailand and Myanmar via Teknaf, Ukhia, and Cox’s Bazar
  • Selling these animals at exorbitant prices using false advertising
  • Transferring Tk 121 crore through multiple bank accounts linked to Imran Hossain and his associates

The Financial Crime Unit of CID had earlier filed a money laundering case against Sadiq Agro’s owner Imran Hossain, his associate Touhidul Alam Zenith, and the company itself under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

On July 3, 2023, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) raided Sadiq Agro, recovering six illegally imported American Brahma cows. In 2021, Imran Hossain allegedly used forged documents to illegally import 18 Brahma cows, which were seized by customs but later retrieved by him from a government facility in Savar. These cows were then sold for millions during Eid-ul-Adha.

Authorities have indicated that further investigations are ongoing, and additional charges may be brought against Imran Hossain and his associates.

END/MSS/AJ