No headway in gold smuggling case

The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police is apparently silent over the sensational gold smuggling case.

Four senior officials of Biman Bangladesh Airlines and a money exchange businessman were arrested in November 2014, for involvement in gold smuggling at Shahjalal International Airport.

A total of 69 officials and staff of Biman and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, were found involved in gold smuggling.

Though they made confessional statements in court, no progress has been made in the case. The other culprits haven't even been arrested, eight months after the incident.

Among those arrested, one is already out on bail.

A DB official, on condition of anonymity, said they cannot take action until they are given a go-ahead from their seniors.

Nurul Huda, former inspector general of police, on Saturday told Prothom Alo that the investigating officers do not need approval from their seniors to arrest the accused if they have evidence.

“The accused often remain free due to the negligence and reluctance of the law enforcing agencies. The accused often come out of jail due to weak police reports,” said Nurul Huda.

The customs intelligence arrested Mazharul Absar, a cabin crew of Bangladesh Biman and seized gold bars, weighing 2.6 kilograms, from him at Shahjalal airport on 12 November last year.  

Mazharul Absar confessed that 61 Biman officials, five civil aviation officials, and a money exchange businessman, were involved in the gold smuggling.

Based on this statement, the so-called ‘adopted son’ of Biman chairman Jamal Uddin, Mahmudul Haque alias Palash; Captain Abu Mohammad Aslam Shaheed, chief of planning and scheduling; Emdad Hossain, deputy general manager (flight services); Tozammel Hossain, manager (scheduling); and Md Harun Or Rashid, proprietor of Uttara’s Farhan Money Exchanger, were arrested on 18 November, 2014.

At least 13 other officials of Biman are involved in smuggling gold through the country's premier airport, the arrested persons revealed.

DB deputy commissioner Sheikh Nazmul Alam told Prothom Alo that they did not find clear evidence against the persons whose names were mentioned in the confessions.

Additional deputy commissioner of DB Shafiq Alam on Saturday said that the investigating officer of the gold smuggling case DB assistant commissioner Mostafizur Rahman was recently transferred. Shafiq Alam, however, does not know who is in charge of the case now.

Mahmudul Haque alias Palash, became a contractor in the airport in 2010, introducing himself as the ‘adopted son’ of the Biman chairman. He was an influential person in the airport having free access everywhere. He made contact with other crew through his wife cabin crew Noorjahan.

Palash confessed that he was the coordinator of the smuggling operations and the final destination of the smuggled gold was India. 

Emdad Hossain, deputy director general of Biman, said in his confession that Palash had created a racket of gold and silver smuggling in the airport.

Biman manager (scheduling) Tozammel Hossain confessed that Palash controlled the racket which included many Biman officials including Captain Shaheed.

Palash is now in jail with three other top Biman officials. However, Md Harun Ur Rashid of Farhan Money Exchanger is out on bail.