Fifty-five kilograms of gold has gone missing from the warehouse of Dhaka Customs House (DCH) located at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The unaccounted gold amounts to approximately 55 kg, which was previously confiscated from passengers and stored in the warehouse.
A case regarding the missing gold was filed with the Airport Police Station on Sunday night, with DCH confirming the disappearance of 55 kg of gold from its warehouse.
Attempts to reach DCH officials for further details were unsuccessful as most of their phones remained switched off.
To determine the exact quantity of gold stolen from the warehouse, most officials have remained stationed at the DCH office at the airport since Friday, informed customs officials.
Initially, it was believed that around 15 kg of gold had been stolen, but this estimate later increased to 55 kg as the investigation progressed.
Sources familiar with the operational procedures at the airport, which operates round-the-clock in four shifts, said traditionally, gold confiscated from passengers was stored in a single warehouse. In an effort to enhance transparency, DCH Commissioner AKM Nurul Huda Azad had previously issued an order to segregate seized gold based on the shift during which it was confiscated. This measure aimed to ensure that gold seized during each shift remained securely stored in their respective lockers.
However, approximately a week ago, authorities were alerted to the disappearance of roughly 55 kg of gold from the warehouse. A committee was immediately appointed to conduct a comprehensive inventory of all the stored gold. Initial findings confirmed the disappearance, prompting further verification by customs authorities.
Commissioner AKM Nurul Huda Azad expressed deep concern over the incident, stating, "We have reasonable grounds to believe that the gold was stolen from the warehouse, and we suspect the involvement of a well-organised syndicate with a history of such activities.”
“Multiple law enforcement teams, including those from Customs House and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), are actively working to identify the culprits. Legal action will be taken against the wrongdoers as swiftly as possible," he added.
Insiders at the airport have pointed out that access to the customs warehouse is strictly restricted to customs officials only. Therefore, the theft of such a substantial amount of gold from a secure facility raises suspicions of possible involvement from within the customs department itself.
Commissioner AKM Nurul Huda Azad, while confirming the unsettling disappearance of the gold, told the media, "This incident is deeply embarrassing for me and my team. We are in the process of finalising our inventory to ensure the accuracy of our findings. Once confirmed, we will not hesitate to take further legal action, including filing a case with the police station."
The incident underscores the need for a thorough investigation to unravel the mystery surrounding the missing gold and bring those responsible to justice.
