Two Chinese passengers held with 12.6kg gold at Dhaka airport

Customs officials have seized 12.6kg of gold worth an estimated Tk 240 million from two Chinese passengers at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

The gold, concealed on the passengers’ bodies in the form of gold paste, was recovered by the preventive team of Dhaka Customs House on Wednesday afternoon.

Acting on a tip-off about gold smuggling, customs officials launched surveillance at different points of the airport at around 5:15pm on October 28.

The two passengers, identified as Chen Liun and Mo Xiaoyu, arrived in Dhaka from Dubai on an Emirates flight, EK586.

After completing immigration formalities, they were spotted near baggage carousel 2 and subsequently searched by customs officials.

During the search, officials discovered soft, yellow-coloured gold paste concealed inside their jeans and underwear, wrapped in cloth and sewn into the garments.

The seized gold weighed a total of 12.6kg. Preliminary tests confirmed that the gold was 24-carat, according to customs officials.

The estimated market value of the recovered gold is around Tk 240 million, or Tk 24 crore.

Legal proceedings are under way against the two passengers under the Customs Act 2023 and relevant criminal laws, while the seized gold has been taken into custody.

The seizure was reported by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) through its public relations department on Wednesday night.