Customs seize Tk2.73cr in illegal goods at Dhaka airport over five days

Customs officials have seized illegal goods worth nearly Tk 2.73 crore in a series of operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka over five days, including gold paste, high-end smartphones, foreign liquor and cigarettes, prohibited creams and medicines.

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) conducted the operations from Aug. 17 to 21 and detailed the seizures in a statement issued on Friday (August 21).

The largest consignment was intercepted on August 17 from a passenger arriving from Dubai on an Emirates flight. A search of the passenger's baggage initially recovered 881 grams of gold-like paste. Laboratory testing later yielded 461 grams of pure gold bullion.

Officials also seized 8kg of prohibited Gouri cream and 14 cartons of Mond cigarettes from the same consignment. The goods were valued at about Tk 95.35 lakh, including customs duties and taxes.

On August 18, customs officials recovered several iPhone and Redmi models along with 2,482 pieces of expensive foreign medicines from a passenger arriving from Colombo on a SriLankan Airlines flight. The estimated value of the goods was Tk 54.02 lakh.

On August 20, searches of passengers arriving on three flights from Dubai and Bahrain led to the seizure of 21 cartons of cigarettes, 69kg of prohibited Gouri cream, 29.4kg of Nan Pro nutrition milk powder and 116 pieces of cream-based medicines. The goods were valued at Tk 28.52 lakh, including duties and taxes.

Later that day, another joint operation targeting passengers on US-Bangla and Emirates flights recovered 83 cartons of cigarettes, 198 vapes, 10 Redmi smartphones, 36kg of Gouri cream and four litres of foreign liquor, worth around Tk 80.87 lakh.

On August 21, officials intercepted a Dubai-bound passenger at the Green Channel and recovered several iPhone and Google Pixel smartphones, 161 cartons of Mond cigarettes, whitening serum and two laptops. Separate searches of passengers arriving on Emirates and Qatar Airways flights also yielded foreign liquor, vape liquid and cigarettes worth an estimated Tk 14.2 lakh.

According to the CIID, the five-day operations resulted in the seizure of goods worth a total of Tk 2,72,95,640. Legal action has been taken against the detained passengers under the Customs Act.