Six gold 'eggs' worth nearly Tk 5 crore seized on Abu Dhabi-bound flight

The gold 'eggs', brought into Bangladesh from Abu Dhabi, were being taken back to that country after failing to fetch the expected price in the local market, the Customs Intelligence said.

In the end, six gold eggs weighing 2 kg 728 grams were seized in separate drives by Customs Intelligence.

On Sunday (November 1), three gold eggs were recovered in a drive on Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-127, bound for Abu Dhabi via Chattogram from Dhaka.

On the same day, Customs Intelligence officers seized three more gold eggs found abandoned in the airport's boarding bridge area.

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) said in a press statement that passenger Mohammad Minhaj was offloaded from the aircraft as a suspect. The flight was scheduled to depart at 7:20 pm.

Later, three gold eggs weighing 1 kg 364 grams were recovered from that passenger.

Meanwhile, three more gold eggs of the same weight were recovered abandoned in the airport's boarding bridge area. In the two incidents, the total weight of the six eggs stood at 2 kg 728 grams.

The estimated market value of the seized gold is Tk 4 crore 91 lakh, the CIID said.

Preliminary investigation found the gold eggs had earlier been brought into Bangladesh from Abu Dhabi. But as the expected price was not available in the local market, an attempt was being made to take them back to Abu Dhabi.

Customs Intelligence is examining who is involved with the ring, how the gold was brought into the country and who was involved in the plan to take it abroad again.

The real source of the seized gold, the role of the persons concerned, a possible smuggling ring and international links are being investigated. Legal action in the incident is under way, the CIID said.