CIID seized 228-kg illegal gold in 4yrs
Staff Reporter :
Members of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) have seized 228 kg gold bars and ornaments in last four years, according to NBR data.
They expressed concern over increased involvement of the officials of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) with the gold smuggling.
The NBR data showed that over two hundred people have been arrested accusing involvement with the gold smuggling in 318 cases during the mentioned period and most of the arrestees are the employees of the Biman Bangladesh and the CAAB.
The two state-owned authorities have taken action against their 260 staffs during the mentioned period, according to the data.
The CIID officials said the increased gold smuggling is encouraging financial terrorism and transnational crimes. The financial impact of the illegal gold trade is also significant as it is not added to the country’s formal economy.
Illegal money laundering can be reduced to a large extent if the smuggling of gold bars into the country from abroad can be stopped, they said.
Strong measures in tackling gold bar smuggling will also help resolve the dollar crisis, they added.
According to Bangladesh Jeweller’s Association (BAJUS), illegal gold worth at least Tk200 crore is smuggled to Bangladesh every day by water, land, and air routes.
The authorities of the Biman and the CAAB have failed to refrain their officials from the involvement with the heinous activities despite they have taken various measures to stop it.
Smuggling syndicate bring gold bars from abroad and some dishonest officials and employees of the two authorities help the smugglers to keep the bars in a safe place at the airport and to bring them out safely, it is alleged.
Expressing frustration, CAAB Chairman Air-Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman recently said, “We have failed to stop gold smuggling, although we have taken various measures. It is very painful for us.”
“We are trying our best to stop the gold smuggling as the country’s image is involved with this,” he added.
Throughout this year, a notable number of CAAB-Biman personnel embroiled in gold smuggling have been apprehended by various law enforcement agencies.
On April 14, a CAAB driver Salehkuzzaman was detained by APBN alongside the seizure of five gold bars and 50 gold chains.
Similarly, on June 4, Saudi Arabian authorities detained FS Ziaul, a cabin crew member, at Jeddah airport, confiscating a substantial amount of illicit gold.
Prior to these incidents, Biman cabin crew member Ruhul Amin Shubo faced job termination after being caught with illegal gold and currency at Jeddah airport.
