Dhaka Customs House officials seized 4.5kg of 24-carat gold bars from a Malaysian passenger who arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Kuala Lumpur on a Malaysian Airlines flight on Sunday, based on information from an intelligence agency.
The passenger, identified as Yang Don Sew, 43, a Malaysian citizen holding passport number A61828082, arrived in Dhaka on Malaysian Airlines flight MH-0196. He was kept under surveillance after getting off the aircraft.
After passengers collected their baggage, customs officials, in the presence of an intelligence agency, stopped Yang Don Sew for a search while he was crossing Green Channel-1. The gold bars were recovered from his body at around 1:45am.
The seized gold comprised four bars weighing 1kg each and five bars weighing 100g each, totalling nine bars and 4.5kg.
The gold bars were found concealed under the passenger’s shirt and wrapped in a black cloth belt in an unusual manner. The bars were 24-carat gold and valued at approximately Tk8 crore.
The passenger did not make any baggage declaration and could not produce any documents relating to the gold under the Customs Act 2023 and the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947.
The gold has been temporarily seized under Section 191 of the Customs Act 2023 for completion of legal proceedings.
The process of filing a criminal case against the accused passenger with the relevant laws at the airport police station is underway.
Dhaka Customs House at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport said it is working closely to prevent illegal gold smuggling and protect national interests.
