Nearly 10 months after losing $101 million in a high-profile heist, Bangladesh on Saturday recouped $15.25 million of the stolen money from authorities in the Philippines, where most of the money ended up.
International cyber hackers had stolen the money on February 5 this year, when they managed to get the money out of the Bangladesh Bank’s sovereign account maintained with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Some $20 million went to Sri Lanka, where it was blocked by authorities.
The rest entered accounts seemingly set up to anticipate the transfers at the RCBC Bank in Philippines.
‘Our team now visiting the Philippines has received $15.25 million and it is now under process to be deposited with Bangladesh Bank’s account,’ Bangladesh Bank deputy governor Abu Hena Razee Hasan said on Saturday.
Earlier, a Philippines court on September 19 authorised Banko Sentralng Philipinas, the central bank of the country, to return about $15.25 million to Bangladesh. It represents the amount recovered by the authorities from a junket businessman.
The Filipino court had made order settling a petition of the Department of Justice in the Philippines. The DoJ represented Bangladesh in the case settled by the regional trial court.
Following the order, Bangladesh Bank filed an execution suit with a Philippine court to get the money bank in its account. The case was also settled and the order issued in favour of Bangladesh.
Last week a team of the central bank went to Manila to receive the money.
