Nearly 2.3m Saudi riyals seized at Dhaka airport

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) and the Dhaka Customs House Preventive Team seized 2,299,500 Saudi riyals at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday.

Officials, however, could not catch the passenger who left behind the bag with Saudi riyals since he left the airport without completing the immigration process.

The currency was seized when immigration officials scanned the luggage belonging to Mamun Khan, who checked in for a Dubai-bound flight (EK585) of Emirates Airlines.

CIID deputy director Ahmedur Reza Chowdhury said officials checking passengers in for Emirates Airlines around 9:30pm on Wednesday. The scanner detected currency notes in the passenger baggage screening room. However, the luggage owner could not be found.”

Later, the luggage was opened at the Customs Hall in presence of the members of law enforcement agencies and aviation security, he added.

These currency was hidden between paperboards inside 34 shirts in the luggage, Ahmedur Reza Chowdhury said, adding customs officials with the help of the aviation security later collected details on that passenger from the Emirates counter using the luggage tag.

The customs is processing a case against that passenger using the information, and the seized currency will be placed in the customs warehouse.

Mamun Khan will face action as per the Customs Act and the Special Powers Act, the official added.