Foreign currency worth Tk22 lakh seized from UAE-bound passenger at Ctg airport

Authorities at Chattogram's Shah Amanat International Airport have seized foreign currency worth over Tk22 lakh from a UAE-bound passenger around 10pm yesterday (27 July).

The passenger, identified as Md Abdul Majid from Lohagara upazila in Chattogram, was scheduled to board Air Arabia flight G9-521 bound for Sharjah. The foreign currency was recovered at the International cabin baggage scanning point of the airport.

According to Engineer Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil, public relations officer of the airport, the incident began when Md Mahfuzur Rahman, an armed security guard on duty, questioned the passenger about whether he was carrying any undeclared foreign currency. Majid initially denied having any such currency. However, during a body search conducted on the spot, foreign currency was discovered on him.

Following this, he was immediately handed over to the on-duty officer of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and taken to the customs baggage counter for further inspection.

A thorough search of the passenger's baggage was then conducted in the presence of representatives from multiple agencies, including Airport Aviation Security (AVSEC), Customs, the National Security Intelligence (NSI), DGFI, the Air Force Task Force, and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID).

The search yielded a substantial amount of foreign currency, including $4,700, 47,885 UAE dirhams, 3,762 Saudi riyals, 346 Omani rials, Tk36,000.The total value of the seized currency is estimated at around Tk22 lakh.

The currency was seized in DM (detention memo) form, a formal seizure procedure under customs rules. 

After preliminary interrogation, Abdul Majid was handed over to Patenga Police Station, and a case was filed against him on charges of smuggling foreign currency and attempting to evade government revenue.