The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed a money laundering case involving nearly Tk 35 crore against online travel platform Flight Expert (FEBD) over allegations of defrauding hundreds of customers and sub-agents by collecting advance payments for airline tickets without delivering the promised services. The case was filed with Motijheel Police Station under Sections 4(2) and 4(4) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012 (amended in 2015) against seven individuals, including the company's managing director and senior officials.
Company Background and Allegations
Flight Expert began its online airline ticketing business in 2016 and later expanded into hotel bookings, Hajj and Umrah packages, and other travel services. Although the company was registered as FEBD in 2019, it continued conducting business and banking transactions under both the Flight Expert and FEBD names. The investigation found that the company operated both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) ticket sales, attracting customers and sub-agents with unusually large discounts.
Financial Irregularities and Misappropriation
The CID's Financial Crime Unit alleges that Flight Expert collected substantial advance payments but failed to issue tickets. The company's Managing Director, Salman Bin Rashid Shah Sayem, reportedly left Bangladesh on August 1, 2025, without fulfilling customer obligations. Investigators found that funds deposited into FEBD's bank accounts were transferred to accounts operated under Flight Expert and later moved through various individual and corporate accounts, allegedly to conceal the origin, ownership, and nature of the proceeds of crime.
Continued Financial Transactions Post-Departure
Even after the managing director left the country, several company directors and the head of finance continued withdrawing and transferring significant amounts from company bank accounts, allegedly misappropriating money obtained through fraudulent activities. Investigators also found that although Flight Expert sourced tickets through IATA-accredited travel agencies, in many cases customers paid the full ticket price but never received their tickets. In some instances, the company allegedly collected payments from multiple sources for the same ticket.
Preliminary Investigation Findings
The CID said its preliminary investigation indicates that Tk 346,931,090 was fraudulently misappropriated and subsequently laundered through a series of banking transactions, transfers, and conversions. The CID will continue investigating the case and take further legal action as necessary.
Significance and Implications
This case highlights the growing issue of online fraud and money laundering in Bangladesh's travel industry. It underscores the need for stricter regulatory oversight and consumer protection measures to prevent such scams. The ongoing investigation and legal actions are crucial to hold the perpetrators accountable and restore trust in online travel services.
