Bangladesh customs seizes 45 gold bars weighing 45 kg

Customs officials at Bangladesh's main airport in capital Dhaka on Saturday seized 45 gold bars weighing 45 kg from three passengers from Malaysia, an official said.

SM Sohel Rahman, assistant commissioner of the Customs Intelligence Department, told journalists that "We've seized 45 gold bars weighing about 45 kilograms from three persons who landed here from Malaysia by a Malaysian Airlines."

"During the search, they were found carrying 45 gold bars worth about 230 million taka which were attached to their bodies," he said.

The Malaysian Airlines flight carrying the suspects landed at the Bangladesh's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 11:40 a.m. local time.

Acting on a tip-off, Rahman said the customs officials conducted the raid and found the gold bars.

He said the suspects who were identified as Malaysian nationals, Hi Wi Cong, Zohari Bin Harun and Mohd Azwan Bin Salihin, claimed that they were only the carriers.

Sources said most of the time only the carriers are being caught, but the real smugglers remain behind the scene.

They said organized gangs of local smugglers having link with their foreign sidekicks are increasingly using Bangladesh as a route for the illegal transportation of gold, foreign currencies, contraband drug and medicines. (1 U.S.dollar equals 79 taka). Endi