A cleaner of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines has been arrested with 40 gold bars weighting 4.5kg at Hajarat Shahjalal International Airport in the afternoon.
Joynal Abedin, 30, the cleaner of the national flag carrying airlines, was arrested at the apron area of the airport at 12:30pm immediately after he came out of a Malaysian flight that landed here around 11:30am.
Qamrul Hasan, senior assistant commissioner of the Customs Department, said: “Cleaner Joynal Abedin was assigned to carry the smuggled gold out from the flight of Malaysian Airlines and hand over to other members of the smuggling ring active in the airport.”
The Customs Department official said they seized the gold worth around Tk2 crore after arresting the Biman cleaner as per their earlier information about the gold haul and also about the involvement of the cleaner.
“Acting on a tip-off, the customs officials were keeping eyes on the smuggling of golds,” said Qamrul Hasan adding “Cleaner Joynal was carrying the gold bars hiding inside his shoes and uniform.”
Qamrul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune: “During the primary interrogation, Joynal claimed that he was asked to take the gold bars out of the flight for handing over to some other people at the airport in exchange of some money.”
“However, the identities of the other members of the ring and the owner of the smuggled gold are yet to be known,” he said.
According to sources, more than 60 rings are active in the smuggling of gold, currencies, precious metals, stones and other valuables through the airport in support of a section of unscrupulous officials and employees of different government, international and private agencies at the airport.
The sources said over 1200 people, who were officials and employees of different agencies, including of different airlines, customs, NSI, Ansar and Civil Aviation, were arrested at the airport in last three years for their involvement in the smuggling and other illicit activities.
