CIID confiscates illegal gold, diamonds from Apan Jewellers

Customs Intelligence Investigation Directorate (CIID) has started confiscating gold and diamonds at Apan Jewellers showrooms that have no legal documents. "The drive started around 9am on Sunday at five showrooms in Dhaka city," CIID Director General Dr Moinul Khan told the Dhaka Tribune. The showrooms are at Gulshan DCC Market, Gulshan Avenue, Uttara, Simanto Square and Mouchak. The confiscated gold and diamonds will be deposited in a vault at Bangladesh Bank, the CIID DG added. The 13.5 maunds of gold (approximately 503.88kg) and 427gm of diamonds were initially rounded up on May 14 and May 15 though they were not confiscated. After rounding up the items, the CIID held a hearing on the issue three times to obtain an explanation from Apan Jewellers about how the gold and diamonds were imported. Apan Jewellers owner Dildar Ahmed however could not show any legal documents, leading to the CIID move. The CIID had previously handed over 2.3kg of gold seized from the Apan Jewellers showrooms to 85 owners. Meanwhile, Dildar’s son Shafat Ahmed is the prime accused in the much-hyped Banani rape case. Shafat, Nayem Ashraf, Shadman Sakif, Shafat’s driver Billal Hossain and bodyguard Rahmat Ali are accused in the rape case involving two private university students on March 28 at The Raintree Hotel in Dhaka. The CIID is also probing Dildar’s alleged link to gold smuggling.