Customs authorities at Chittagong airport yesterday seized 84 bars of gold worth over Tk4 crore from two passengers returning home from Middle Eastern countries.
One of the suspects, however, managed to escape from custody, a customs official said.
Moshiur Rahman Mondol, assistant commissioner of Chittagong customs at Shah Amanat International Airport, said they found 60 gold bars stuffed inside four electric irons after searching the luggage of Mohammad Shamsul Islam, who arrived on an Oman Air flight from Muscat around 5:10 pm.
The bars, weighing 25 grammes each, has a market value of Tk3 crore, the customs officer said.
Earlier, customs officials found 24 gold bars strapped to the knees of Ismail Hossain after he arrived on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Dubai at 5pm.
Ismail, however, fled from a customs office, where he was being held, while officials were busy checking other passengers, Moshiur said.
“It is an embarrassing matter for us, and we have lodged a general dairy with Patenga police station,” he added.
The gold bars, estimated to be worth Tk1.20 crore, were handed over to the Bangladesh Bank. Both suspects come from Raozan upazila of Chittagong district, airport sources said.
As per law, a passenger is allowed to bring in a maximum of 200 grammes of gold into the country after paying duty at the airport.
Customs sources said a total of 1,800 gold bars, worth about Tk85 crore, have been seized from Chittagong airport so far this year in more than 50 drives. Last year, 686 gold bars, worth Tk35.30 crore, were confiscated.
