Man caught in Ctg airport trying to smuggle Tk50 lakh worth foreign currency inside vegetables
All the foreign currency in his possession was confiscated as he carried foreign currency over the government-approved $7,000 limit
A passenger travelling to Dubai has been detained at the Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram with foreign currency worth Tk50.58 lakh, including Saudi Arabian Riyals, Omani Riyals, and UAE Dirhams.
He was apprehended during an operation of the National Security Intelligence (NSI) and customs team at around 7:15pm yesterday (3 December).
The passenger attempted to smuggle the foreign currency by hiding them in the vegetables he was carrying.
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"The passenger named Sakib Newaz from Chattogram's Lohagara was supposed to fly to Dubai on Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-147," said Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil, public relations officer of the airport.
Inside the vegetable carton, he had 140,000 Saudi Riyals (worth Tk45 lakh), 575 Omani Riyals (worth Tk1.7 lakh), and 9,200 UAE Dirhams (worth Tk3 lakh).
The total value of the foreign currency amounts to Tk50.58 lakh, equivalent to $42,158.
The seized foreign currency has been handed over to the airport customs authorities. It was known that the passenger frequently travels to the Middle East.
All the foreign currency in his possession was confiscated as he carried foreign currency over the government-approved $7,000 limit.
Based on a recommendation from the NSI, a criminal case process is underway against the passenger by the Customs authorities.
