7kg gold seized at Dhaka airport

Members of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) seized 60 gold bars weighing around 7kg from a Hi Lift Covered Van of US-Bangla Airlines on Tuesday, reports UNB.

Eight people involved in US-Bangla Airlines catering service were arrested over the gold seizure.

Sources at the airport said the CIID had information a gold smuggling bid through a Dhaka-bound flight of the private carrier from Dubai on Tuesday morning.

Members of CIID entered the aircraft when the flight BS342 landed at the airport around 7:00am to conduct a search operation, said CIID assistant director Tanvir Ahmed.

The officials also searched the catering vehicle (Hi Lift Covered Van) of the airlines and found the gold consignment in the food storage, he said.

They recovered 60 pieces gold bars weighing around 6.96kg. The seized gold has an estimated market value of around Tk 48.7 million (Tk 4.87 crore), CIID officials said.

Eight persons, who were responsible for the airlines’ catering services were detained and the vehicle was seized.