 detained an Umrah pilgrimage guide on Wednesday morning for smuggling 680 grams of gold jewelry into Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The suspect, identified as 46-year-old Gias Uddin, intercepted near the airport’s Canopy-2 area, was attempting to evade customs duties on the 21-carat gold.){kind=link}
The Airport Armed Police Battalion (APBn) detained an Umrah pilgrimage guide on Wednesday morning for smuggling 680 grams of gold jewelry into Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The suspect, identified as 46-year-old Gias Uddin, intercepted near the airport’s Canopy-2 area, was attempting to evade customs duties on the 21-carat gold.
Acting on suspicion, APBn officers brought the suspect to their office for questioning at approximately 11:15 AM. A subsequent search revealed the gold concealed inside a pilgrim bag hanging from his neck. Authorities also seized BDT 77,555 and 16,125 Saudi Riyals in cash from his possession.
During primary interrogation, Gias Uddin confessed to his role in an organized smuggling syndicate. He admitted to using various Umrah pilgrims to transport the gold from Saudi Arabia to Dhaka to bypass security and taxes. Investigators identified him as a designated “receiver” for the illegal shipment.
Police Superintendent Mohammad Mozammel Haque, the operational commander of the APBn, stated that smugglers frequently change tactics to commit crimes. However, he reaffirmed the battalion’s commitment to maintaining maximum vigilance to keep the airport free from contraband. A formal case has been filed against the suspect under the Special Powers Act of 1974 at the Airport Police Station.