2 held with smuggled gold at Dhaka airport

Customs Intelligence officials yesterday detained a smuggler with 64 gold bars, weighing around 7.5kg, at the capital's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

On a tip-off, they held Abdul Latif, 37, of Chittagong, who arrived from Dubai. He was carrying the bars, worth around Tk 3.75 crore, in a chamber created by placing three cigarette packets side by side inside his bag, said Abdul Matin, assistant revenue officer of Customs Intelligence.

During primary quizzing, Matin confessed to carrying gold bars for a gang for more than a year.

Afterwards, Abul Mansur Shikder of Chittagong, was held with 3kg of gold around, said Assistant Commissioner Farid Al Mamun. Mansur carried the gold in a rice cooker and water-heater.

Meanwhile, Nurul Islam, was detained with Indian rupee of 1 crore. Officials could not ascertain whether the currency was fake till last night.