CIID seizes six gold eggs worth Tk4.91cr at Dhaka airport

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) has seized six gold eggs worth an estimated Tk4.91 crore in two separate operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, uncovering an attempt to take gold back to Abu Dhabi after failing to sell it at the expected price in Bangladesh.

Acting on a tip-off, CIID officials on Sunday offloaded passenger Mohammad Minhaj from a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight, BG-127, scheduled to depart for Abu Dhabi via Chattogram at 7:20pm, suspecting that he was carrying gold.

Subsequently, with the cooperation of the passenger, the officials recovered three gold eggs weighing 1.364 kilograms, according to a press release.

In a separate operation, CIID officials seized another three gold eggs weighing 1.364 kilograms from the boarding bridge area of the airport, where someone had allegedly left them behind.

During preliminary interrogation, the persons concerned said they had previously brought the gold eggs from Abu Dhabi to Bangladesh. However, as they failed to secure their expected prices in the local market, they were attempting to take the gold back to Abu Dhabi.

The six gold eggs seized in the two operations weighed a total of 2.728 kilograms.

The CIID is investigating the actual source of the gold, the roles of those involved, possible gold-smuggling networks and their international connections.

Legal proceedings in connection with the seizures are underway.