2 arrested at Dhaka airport over smuggling 40 gold bars worth Tk5cr
Two people, including a driver of the private airline company Novoair, have been arrested at the Dhaka airport over allegedly smuggling 40 gold bars worth around Tk5 crore.
The arrestees are Novoair driver Md Helal and his accomplice Kamal Hossain, Airport Armed Police Battalion (APBn) Additional Superintendent Md Ziaul Haque told the media on Saturday (16 March).
"Members of the APBn have been working to prevent gold smuggling at the Dhaka airport for a long time. In this connection, the APBn and National Security Intelligence (NSI) kept the driver of the private airline Novoair, Md Helal, under surveillance," he said.
The APBn official said Helal came to duty today like any other day. He then left through the entrance gate of the airport's domestic terminal.
Shortly after, Helal was seen getting into a CNG-run autorickshaw from the driveway with an accomplice. Then APBn members intercepted the autorickshaw and brought them back to the office, Ziaul Haque added.
He said, "After interrogation, 40 gold bars – weighing around 640 grams, worth Tk5 crore – wrapped in black scotch tape were found inside the shoulder bag of Kamal Hussain.
"Kamal said Helal gave him these gold bars. He is supposed to get Tk10,000 if he can deliver these to a specified destination."
Legal action is being taken against the accused at the airport police station, the APBn official said.