Dhaka: Airport Armed Police Battalion (APBN) at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport detained a man with 680 grams of gold, Tk 77,550, and foreign currency totaling 16,125 Saudi riyals. The suspect, identified as Gias Uddin, 46, was apprehended around 11:15 am near Canopy Area 2 after his movements raised suspicion. He was taken to the APBN office for questioning and a body search.
According to United News of Bangladesh, officers recovered the gold jewellery, valued at 21 carats, along with the Bangladeshi taka and Saudi riyals from a bag around Gias Uddin’s neck, subsequently recording the items in the seizure register. During interrogation, Gias Uddin revealed he had returned from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah as a group leader. He confessed to bringing the gold into Bangladesh illegally through different Umrah pilgrims, thereby evading customs duties.
Officials disclosed that Gias Uddin is allegedly part of an active gold smuggling syndicate operating at the airport, functioning as a receiver. A case has been filed against him at the Airport Police Station under Section 25-B(1)(b) of the Special Powers Act, 1974, for conspiring with unknown passengers to smuggle gold and evade government revenue.
Airport APBN Operational Commander Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mozammel Haque stated that gold smugglers adopt various methods to commit crimes. He emphasized that APBN remains vigilant in its efforts to curb gold and drug smuggling and will continue its operations to prevent any criminal activity at the airport.