Jewellery worth Tk2.7cr seized from Kolkata passenger at Dhaka airport
Customs officials say the undeclared haul included diamond-studded gold and platinum rings, precious stones and other jewellery concealed inside a jar of pickles.
Customs officials have seized jewellery and precious stones worth an estimated Tk2.7 crore from a passenger arriving from Kolkata at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
The passenger, identified as Md Jony Rahman, arrived on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight (BG 396) yesterday (10 October), according to a press release issued by Dhaka Customs House.
Acting on a tip-off about possible gold smuggling, a preventive team from Dhaka Customs House, in coordination with airport officials, kept the passenger under surveillance.
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After completing immigration, the passenger attempted to leave through the green channel without declaring his baggage, the press release said.
Officials scanned his baggage and detected metal objects inside a jar of pickles. A subsequent search uncovered a large quantity of jewellery and precious stones.
The seized items included 389 diamond-studded gold rings weighing 478 grams and 151 diamond-studded platinum rings weighing 450 grams. Other items included gold pendants, chains, nose pins, and white-gold and silver rings.
The haul also contained 45 carats of diamonds, 720 pieces of rubies, topaz and other precious stones, and 23 jewellery certificate cards, the release said.
The total weight of the seized goods was reported as 1,054 grams, with an estimated market value of Tk2.7 crore, according to a jewellery valuation certificate.
Dhaka Customs House's preventive team has filed a criminal case against the passenger with the relevant police station, the release added.
