Bangladesh suspends 21,725 MFS accounts for alleged online gambling
The accounts were also suspected of making illegal money transfers.
Bangladesh.- The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has suspended 21,725 accounts associated with Mobile Financial Services (MFS) due to suspicions of their use for online gambling and hundi, an illegal money transfer system.
According to Dhaka Tribune, the majority of the suspended accounts are linked to popular MFS providers such as Bkash, Nagad and Rocket. Authorities have cautioned MFS operators against facilitating such transactions.
The BFIU said it detected 371 transactions related to online gaming and betting, 91 associated with online forex trading and 413 transactions connected to cryptocurrency over the course of nine months this year. It said the data is undergoing analysis and will be shared with law enforcement agencies.
The BFIU has also provided law enforcement agencies with a list of 814 websites, 159 apps, and 442 social media pages and links linked to illegal hundi operations and gambling. It says it has also provided information about 21 money changers and 39 bank accounts to the police Criminal Investigation Department.
