Authorities in the Philippines have seized about $81 million stolen from Bangladesh Bank’s foreign reserves, according to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police.
On Sunday, CID Special Superintendent Jasim Uddin confirmed to media, following a court order, funds linked to the 2016 cyberheist were confiscated from Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) in the Philippines.
“Our court has given instructions. Senior officials are now working to determine the next course of action,” Jasim Uddin said.
The case stems from the notorious 2016 heist in which hackers stole $81 million from Bangladesh Bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York by exploiting the SWIFT messaging system.
The funds were then funneled to RCBC in the Philippines and laundered through casinos there.
The recovery marks a significant development in Bangladesh’s efforts to reclaim its stolen foreign reserves after one of the world’s largest-ever cyber bank thefts.
