The customs authority in Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong yesterday seized 28 gold bars weighing 3.27 kilograms from a luggage of a Dubai-returned passenger, who arrived at the airport on June 30 through a Bangladesh Biman flight.
The authorities also nabbed the passenger identified as Md Nizam, 29, hailing from Rawzan upazila in Chittagong, said Moshiur Rahman Mandal, assistant commissioner (AC) of Chittagong Custom House positioned in Shah Amanat International Airport.
The AC said after the arrival of Nizam at the airport customs officials seized his luggage sensing existence of gold in it.
“After examining the luggage yesterday morning, the authorities recovered the bars from the luggage of Nizam,” he said, adding that Nizam was asked to present at the airport before starting examining. The customs officials arrested him after finding the gold bars. He said,” The worth of the gold is about Tk1.40 crore.”
The bars will be sent to Bangladesh Bank, he said, adding that a case was lodged with Patenga police station in this connection.
Existing law allows a person to carry highest 200 grammes gold from abroad paying necessary duty while the passenger can bring highest two kilograms gold giving early notice to the authorities concerned and paying duty according to a circular of Bangladesh Bank, added the AC.
From July 1 till yesterday, the customs authorities seized a total of 13.21 kilograms of gold bars and jewelry worth about Tk6 crores in separate drives from the airport, the AC further added.
The customs sources said about 2,900 gold bars and worth more than Tk100 crore were seized from the airport in 2014.
