Two Chinese nationals held at Dhaka airport with 46 gold bars

The Customs Intelligence & Investigation Directorate has detained two foreign nationals for smuggling in 46 bars of gold at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The two of them were from China, the customs authority said in a press release on Thursday.

The two passengers landed on a Flydubai Airlines flight from Dubai to Dhaka at 6:50am, said Sabrina Amin, assistant director of the airport’s CIID unit.

CIID investigators took up positions at the airport based on a tip-off and when the Flydubai aircraft docked at boarding bridge No. 7, two passengers - Liu Zhongliang and Chen Zheng – were searched.

Three electric lamps seized from their shoulder bags during the search. They were brought to an inventory table at the airport and opened in the presence of various agencies to uncover the 46 gold bars inside.

The weight of the recovered gold is 5 kg 336 gm, with an estimated market value of Tk 50.16 million.

The seized bars have been sent to the Dhaka Customs House warehouse.

A criminal case is being prepared against the two detainees under the Customs Act, the CIID said.