Chittagong Customs authorities in Shah Amanat International Airport yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon nabbed a person with 24 gold bars which were brought illegally but the detainee was fled from customs officials’ custody.
The fled detainee, Ismail Hossain, hailing from Raozan upazila of Chittagong, hailed from Dubai, said airport sources.
Moshiur Rahman Mondol, assistant commissioner (AC) of Chittagong Customs House in the airport, told Dhaka Tribune that they seized the bars, which were hidden in the passenger’s knees when they conducted the drive at the Bangladesh Biman (BG-038) flight after landing at the airport at around 5:00pm.
“We kept Ismail in customs office at the airport while he fled from here taking the chance when the customs officials were busy to check other passengers who were landed at the airport at the afternoon,” he said.
“It’s an embarrassing matter for us but we lodged a general dairy with Patenga Police Station in this connection,” added the AC.
The flight was from Dubai to Dhaka via Chittagong, said the custom official.
The seized bars are weighing around 2.80 kilogrammes worth of which is estimated at Tk 1.20 crore, he said; adding that the seized bars were handed over to Bangladesh Bank.
Existing law allows a person to carry highest 200 grammes gold from abroad paying necessary duty at the airport, said the AC.
The customs sources said about 1,800 gold bars worth about Tk 85 crore were seized from the airport in more than 50 drives in 2014 adding with yesterday’s recovery while 686 gold bars worth Tk 35.30 crore were seized from the airport in 16 drives in 2013.
