Seven advanced firearms stolen from HSIA cargo vault

At least seven sophisticated firearms have been stolen from a vault inside the strongroom of the import cargo village at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).

The theft was discovered during a routine inspection on Sunday (November 2).

The missing weapons reportedly include U.S.-made M4 carbines and Brazil’s Taurus pistols, though the exact number of stolen firearms has not yet been confirmed.

Airport police have filed a general diary (GD) and informed the Police Headquarters.

Deputy Commissioner of DMP’s Uttara Division, Mahidul Islam, confirmed the GD filing but said the exact number of firearms was not mentioned.

On October 18, a massive fire broke out at the cargo village, destroying most imported goods. However, the strongroom remained largely intact. After the fire was extinguished, authorities sealed the strongroom.

Later, on October 24, officials from Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), and an intelligence agency inspected the site and found the firearm vault unlocked and the trunk broken.

The strongroom contained valuable items, import documents, gold, diamonds, and firearms. Due to fire damage to related records, officials could not confirm how many weapons were stored there. During a second inspection, seven out of 21 firearms were found missing.

To prevent further theft, the remaining 14 firearms and others from adjacent vaults were moved to the local police station.

Law enforcement officials noted that while gold and diamonds remained untouched, only firearms were stolen — a development they described as “suspicious and mysterious.”