Dhaka:Customs intelligence officials have seized six gold eggs, weighing a total of 2.728 kg and valued at approximately Tk 4.91 crore, in two separate operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The seizures occurred following an attempt to return the gold to Abu Dhabi after failing to sell it at the expected price in Bangladesh.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) conducted the operations on Sunday based on confidential information. A press release issued in the evening detailed the events.
In the first operation, officials intercepted a passenger named Mohammad Minhaj on Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-127, traveling from Dhaka to Abu Dhabi via Chattogram. Minhaj was offloaded from the flight on suspicion of carrying gold, which departed at 720 pm. With his cooperation, officials recovered three gold eggs weighing 1.364 kg.
In a separate action, CIID officials discovered three more gold eggs, also weighing 1.364 kg, abandoned in the boarding bridge area of the airport. Combined, the six gold eggs weighed 2.728 kg with an estimated market value of Tk 4.91 crore.
Preliminary questioning revealed that the gold eggs had been brought to Bangladesh from Abu Dhabi. Due to the inability to achieve the expected price in the local market, attempts were made to return them to Abu Dhabi. This incident has raised concerns about whether illegally imported gold is being sent back when smugglers fail to secure their desired prices domestically.
The CIID is investigating the actual source of the gold, the involvement of individuals, potential links to a gold smuggling syndicate, and their international connections. Legal proceedings related to the seizures are currently underway, as stated by the CIID.