Dhaka: Customs intelligence on Saturday filed five separate cases against three owners of Apan Jewellers under Money Laundering Prevention Act on charges of being in possession of 15 maunds of gold and diamonds illegally and concealing them from tax authorities.

Five assistant revenue officers (ARO) of customs intelligence filed the cases with Gulshan Police Station, Dhanmondi Police Station, Ramna Police Station and Uttura Police Station against Apan Jewellers owners—Dilder Ahmed, Gulzar Ahmed and Azad Ahmed, said Mainul Khan, director general of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate.

The cases were filed following the direction of National Board of Revenue (NBR), Mainul added.

Customs intelligence will investigate the cases under section 2 of Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012 and section 156 (5) of Customs Act, 1969.

On June 8, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) filed five cases with Dhaka Customs House against the three owners of Apan Jewellers on charges of dodging customs duty on 15.13 maunds of gold seized from its branches.

Apan Jewellers is in the limelight after the rape of two private university girls by Shafat, son of Dilder Ahmed, and his cohort in a Banani hotel came to the fore.

One of the rape victims filed a case with Banani Police Station on May 6 accusing five people, including Shafat.