3 key Biman officials held for gold smuggling

Detectives produce five persons, who are arrested on charge of gold smuggling, at media centre of Dhaka Metropolitan Police in Dhaka Wednesday. Three of them are high officials of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Photo: Palash Khan

Five including three high officials of the national flag carrier -- Biman Bangladesh Airlines – were remanded today hours after detectives arrested them in a major operation to track a gold smuggling syndicate that has been active for quite some time.

Though the detectives sought 10-day remand of each of the arrestees for interrogation, the court granted four days’ remand.

The three Biman officials are: Emdad Hossain, deputy general manager (DGM-flight scheduling); Captain Abu Mohammad Aslam Shaheed (chief of planning and scheduling); and Tozammel Hossain, manager scheduling.

In the wake of frequent gold smugglings through Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Detective Branch of police conducted the drive in the capital’s Uttara and Bashundhara areas and arrested the five last night, said Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

The two other detainees are Mahmudul Haque, contractor of Biman Bangladesh, and Mahammad Harunur Rashid, a money exchange businessman.

The arrests were made based on information gleaned from Mazharul Afsar, a cabin crew who was arrested on November 12 with five gold bars weighing 2.3kg, Monirul told a press briefing at the DMP media centre.

During interrogation, Afsar gave some sensational information about the people involved with the gold smuggling, Monirul told the reporters.

The drive against the associates of Afsar will continue, Monirul informed the reporters.