Two Japanese nationals held with 30 gold bars

Two Japanese citizens were held with 30 gold bars -- weighing around 12 kilogrammes -- at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport early yesterday.

The detainees, Takeo Mimura and Shuichi Sato, came to Bangladesh from Malaysia on flight-AK71 of Air Asia, Director General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) Md Shahidul Islam told The Daily Star.

He said customs officials, on a tip-off, intercepted the duo when they were passing through the green channel around 12:30am. When asked, they denied carrying any gold.

The officials, after searching the two, found the gold bars in pockets sewn inside their trousers, said Shahidul. The market price of the seized gold is around Tk 6 crore, the official added. 

After filing a case, the two were handed over to airport police, Shahidul said.