Loads of gold, currency seized
Customs intelligence officials and detectives yesterday seized around 61.5 kg gold worth Tk 30 crore, Bangladeshi currencies worth Tk 4.5 crore and Saudi rials worth Tk 14 lakh from a flat in the capital's Purana Paltan.
Following up on information that Sheikh Md Ali, who hails from Jessore, was allegedly involved in gold smuggling and money laundering, they raided Ali's sixth-floor flat in a 12-storey building for five hours.
The officials searched every nook and cranny of the flat and found the gold bars hidden in drawers of a wall cabinet and above the false ceiling of a room. The currencies were recovered from under a bed.
Four passports, one of which belongs to Ali's wife Gulshanara, were also seized.
Briefing journalists about the drive last night, Mainul Khan, director general of the customs intelligence, said they will scrutinise the seized passports to obtain more information and will also investigate further to find out whether anyone else is involved in the smuggling.
The briefing took place at Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate office.
Mustafizur Rahman, deputy director of customs intelligence, said Sheikh Md Ali smuggled gold into the country dodging tax and sold it to local clients. He added that Ali was detained after the drive.
When the officials went to his house for the raid around 4:30pm, Ali denied storing gold and currencies in his flat.
Manzur Morshed, assistant commissioner of detective branch of police, said they also seized currencies from Ali's son's flat on the 10th floor of the building.
Ali, however, claimed that the gold belonged to his friend, an upazila chairman in Sirajganj.
"He recently gave it to me for keeping in my house," he said.
Gulshanara told The Daily Star that she had got some Tk 2 crore about two weeks ago by selling a piece of land she inherited from her parents in Sylhet. The rest of the money came from his husband's business, Ali Sweets, at Dhanmondi.
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