DHAKA: Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) officials recovered 12 gold bars worth Tk6.5 million from the rectum of a man in Chittagong’s Shah Amanat International Airport on Tuesday morning.
The detainee was identified as Muhammad Belal, 37, hailing from Fatickchari upazila, said CIID officials.
CIID Assistant Director (AD) Pranay Chakma told the Dhaka Tribune: “Belal landed in Chittagong in the morning on an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah in the UAE.
“He was detained by CIID officials when he was crossing the green channel of Shah Amanat International Airport.”
The AD added that Belal initially refused to confess to his crime during interrogation, only admitting that he was smuggling gold in his rectum after customs officials confirmed the presence of metal in his body using metal detectors.
“Later he came out from the toilet with 12 gold bars, weighing 1.392 kilograms,” the AD said, adding that legislative measures had been taken regarding the incident.
Earlier on April 5, three people were arrested from Shah Amanat International Airport with 1.381kg of gold, worth about Tk7.0 million.
According to a circular issued by Bangladesh Bank, existing laws allow a person to carry at most 200g of gold from abroad, while a passenger can bring a maximum of two kilogrammes of gold by giving prior notice to the authorities concerned. In both cases, necessary duties have to be paid to the airport.
