20 gold bars worth Tk1.74 crore seized from three passengers in Benapole
Customs detectives have recovered and seized total 20 gold bars concealed in the rectums of three India-bound passengers at the Benapole checkpost.
The three individuals – Md Habib, 37, Mohiuddin, 36, and Roni Ahmed, 44 – were arrested at around 8am on Monday (29 May).
Shaikh Arefin Zahedi, the deputy director of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate's (CIID) Benapole unit, revealed that they received confidential information regarding an attempted large-scale gold smuggling operation through the Benapole checkpost by Bangladeshi passport holders.
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Acting on the tip-off, monitoring efforts were strengthened at the checkpost's immigration section.
Subsequently, the three suspects were intercepted and interrogated after passing through the passenger terminal of the checkpost.
Initially, they admitted to carrying 20 pieces of gold, weighing 2.32kg. The estimated current market value of the seized gold is some Tk1.74 crore.
The confiscated gold would be handed over to the government treasury, ensuring proper legal procedures are followed in this case, Arefin Zahedi added.
