Gold smugglers change tactics at Ctg airport

Gold smuggling through Chattogram’s Shah Amanat International Airport continues unabated, with three consignments seized within just three weeks following an apparent lull of several months.
Analysis of recent seizures suggests that smugglers have changed their traditional methods amid soaring gold prices. Instead of carrying gold bars, they are increasingly bringing melted gold in various forms, including plates, rods and powder, concealed in inner garments and electronic appliances.
They are also using multiple carriers to transport a single consignment instead of relying on one person, apparently to minimise losses if a carrier is caught.
Unlike traditional carriers, most of whom are expatriate Bangladeshis returning from Middle Eastern countries, an Indian national was among those arrested in one of the recent seizures.
On 1 August, Indian national Thameem Ansari, a resident of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, arrived at the airport on an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah.
A joint team of airport customs intelligence, National Security Intelligence (NSI) and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) searched him and found nine pieces of gold weighing 427 grammes concealed as a special paste inside his underwear.
Police described Ansari, who had travelled to Bangladesh four to five times within a year, as more than a regular carrier. Investigators were unable to obtain any useful information from him about the smuggling network.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) Parvez Alim of Patenga police station said investigations usually reveal that arrested individuals are merely carriers. In most cases, they do not know the syndicate members or even the intended recipients.
Referring to the recent arrest of the Indian national, the OC said the man provided no useful information during interrogation and appeared to be a professional carrier.
“The arrestee is a frequent traveller and had arrived in Bangladesh four to five times within one year. During questioning, he acted as if he did not understand Bengali, English or Hindi. Scrutinising his mobile phone, we found some numbers from Dubai and elsewhere,” he said.
“The main syndicate members ultimately remain outside the trial process because they stay abroad. Even when some names of smugglers emerge during investigations, they cannot be brought to trial due to insufficient information,” the OC said. On 13 July, a team of airport customs and intelligence officials arrested passenger Mohammad Shahidul Alam Chowdhury, 60, of Mirsharai upazila after he arrived from Dubai.
They recovered gold paste from his jeans and underwear, along with six 22-carat gold bangles from his bag. Jewellers later extracted 23 pieces of gold rods weighing around 1,810 grammes from the paste and another 100 grammes of gold from the bangles. Airport Customs Assistant Revenue Officer Md Shahidul Islam filed a case against the arrestee and other unidentified accused under Section 25B, sub-section 1(b)/25D of the Special Powers Act, 1974, with Patenga police station the following day.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) also investigates cases related to gold smuggling.
CID Chattogram Metro and District Special Superintendent Md Salauddin told the Daily Sun that the biggest obstacle to investigating the cases is a lack of information. “In most cases, smugglers lure carriers by offering them return air tickets. The carriers do not know either the senders or the local recipients. This lack of information allows members of the rackets to remain traceless,” he said. The smuggled gold reportedly eventually reaches India, one of the world’s largest gold-consuming countries, through various border routes.

Smugglers change tactics
Analysis of recent seizures suggests that smugglers have changed their traditional methods.
“Smugglers previously used to bring gold bars, but with the rise in gold prices, they may now opt for melted or powdered gold,” said Sumon Chakma, joint commissioner of Customs House ICD, Chattogram.
“The smugglers are also now using several carriers instead of one, unlike in the past. This appears to be a new strategy prompted by the rise in price,” Sumon said, adding that customs officials remain vigilant against all forms of smuggling through the airport.
Customs officials said that under the Baggage Rules, a passenger can bring a maximum of 100 grammes of gold jewellery without paying duty. In addition, up to 117 grammes of gold bars can be brought in by paying duty and tax of Tk5,000 per bhori (11.664 grammes).

Seizures over the years
According to sources at Chattogram airport, a total of 161.727 kilogrammes (kg) of gold was seized in 262 incidents between 2019 and August this year.
Of those involved as carriers or passengers, 197 were male and 55 were female. Ten consignments were recovered after being abandoned. Most of the gold carriers arrived from the United Arab Emirates.
The highest quantity of gold — 54.277 kg — was seized in 22 incidents in 2019, followed by 50.153 kg in 19 incidents in 2020.
The amount fell sharply to 1.601 kg in 2021 and 11.156 kg in 2022, apparently due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gold seizures rose again to 21.614 kg in 33 incidents in 2023, while 10.349 kg was seized in 104 incidents in 2024 and 8.483 kg in 65 incidents in 2025.
A total of 4.094 kg was seized in four incidents this year. Insiders suspect that gold seizures may have declined this year following the massive disruption to flight operations in March and April amid unrest in the Middle East linked to the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

Syndicates behind the smuggling
Talking to officials from customs, airport, intelligence and law enforcement agencies, it was learnt that around 30 syndicates, including seven international networks, are believed to be involved in gold smuggling, either directly or through hundi and money exchange operations. However, the number could not be independently verified.
Apart from vigilance by law enforcement agencies, internal conflicts over shares and the involvement of additional people in the smuggling process often lead to information leaks, resulting in the seizure of consignments. On different occasions, allegations have surfaced that flight crew members, conservancy workers, law enforcement personnel and members of other agencies on duty at the airport were involved in gold smuggling.
The city’s Reazuddin Bazar, Tamakumandi Lane and Hazari Goli are considered hotspots for the gold trade and smuggling activities. The foreign syndicates involved in the smuggling network are based mainly in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

The Abu Ahmed connection
The name of Abu Ahmed of Fatikchhari upazila in Chattogram has repeatedly emerged as that of one of the alleged masterminds behind gold smuggling in Chattogram and elsewhere in Bangladesh.
According to sources, Abu went to Dubai on a labour visa in 1991. Before going abroad, he used to sell puffed rice in Bangladesh. After moving to Dubai, he became involved in gold smuggling and hundi businesses.
The CID’s Financial Crime Unit earlier found assets worth Tk721.17 crore linked to him and submitted an investigation report to the court in a case filed with Kotwali Police Station.
On 3 August 2013, Abu was allegedly kidnapped from in front of his house in the Hillview Residential Area in the city. It was the first time that the name of the mysterious wealthy man came to the attention of law enforcement agencies.
In the kidnapping incident, which occurred around 13 years ago, Abu was reportedly released after a ransom of Tk1 crore was paid. However, Abu’s name first came into the spotlight as an alleged mastermind of gold smuggling in 2014 following repeated gold seizures at Dhaka airport.
On 25 January 2016, two chests containing a large quantity of gold and money were recovered from Bahar Market in the city’s Reazuddin Bazar. A total of 250 gold bars and Tk60 lakh were recovered from the two chests.
A case was filed with Kotwali Police Station, accusing Abu and his manager Enamul Haque in connection with the recovery.
Sources said the names of Abu’s associates, Hakim and Sattar, as well as other local syndicate members, including Alamgir, Mamun, Shahjahan, Jasim alias CNG Jasim, Azam alias Hundi Azam, Bidhan and Jahid, have also surfaced on different occasions. Notably, Abu was arrested at Dhaka airport in February last year while allegedly attempting to flee the country. He was accused in a murder case filed with Double Mooring Police Station in connection with the anti-discrimination student movement.
He was shown arrested in the case and sent to jail following his arrest.