Sylhet MAG Osmani International Airport has now become one of the key smuggling routes for the gold smugglers. Shipment after shipment of smuggled gold is arriving at the airport from Middle Eastern countries.
Statistics show that 153 kilogrammes of gold have been seized over the past 10 years at the airport, which weighs approximately four maunds. The current market value of the seized gold is around Tk 160 crore, according to media sources.
Most recently, a shipment of 16 kilogrammes of gold, worth Tk 17crore, was seized on August 28.
According to local sources, the mastermind behind the August 28 gold smuggling is one of the country’s top gold smugglers, also reportedly involved in the diamond trade.
Airport Police Station Officer-in-Charge Syed Anisur Rahman said, “A case has been filed in connection with the gold smuggling incident. The arrested suspect will be remanded for interrogation, and we will investigate thoroughly to identify the mastermind behind the smuggling operation.”
According to airport police, a person named Hossain Ahmed landed at the airport on August 28, arriving from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight (BG-252).
Hossain initially managed to evade the Customs Intelligence by passing through the airport's Green Channel undetected and reaching the parking area.
However, aviation officials and on-duty members of the intelligence agency (NSI) at the airport suspected him, brought him back to the Green Channel, and subsequently recovered 105 gold bars along with other gold items concealed inside a juice machine.
The total weight of the seized gold was 15.915 kilogrammes, with an estimated market value of around Tk 17 crore.
Hossain Ahmed, son of Nurul Islam, from Goramarakandi village in the Toakul Bazar area of Goainghat Upazila, Sylhet was subsequently arrested.
Assistant Revenue Officer of the Osmani International Airport, Akramul Azim, filed a case under the Special Powers Act at the Airport Police Station on August 28.
Earlier, on December 8, last year, customs seized 280 gold bars weighing 32.065 kilogrammes and six liquid gold items weighing 1.5 kilogrammes from four passengers and a toilet on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines BG-248 flight.
The four passengers involved—Habibur Rahman (38), MdSanu Mia (35), MdAkhtaruzzaman (40), and Misfa Mia (49)—were arrested. A smuggling case was filed against them at the Airport Police Station, and the investigation of that case is still ongoing.
Earlier, in June 2022, two smuggling attempts were intercepted within just five days.
On June 2, 1.16 kilogrammes of gold were seized from Moinul Islam Shakil, a passenger returning from Dubai. Just days before, on May 27, an identical amount of gold was recovered from another passenger named Ali Ahmed.
On December 27, 2021, Customs detained four passengers arriving from Dubai with 11.22 kilogrammes of gold, worth Tk 7 crore. These passengers had cleverly hidden the gold inside blender machines and iron machines.
On November 8, 2021, 38 gold bars weighing 6.148 kilogrammes were seized from NarendraNath, a passenger returning from Dubai. The recovered gold is valued at approximately Tk 3.5 crore. NarendraNath was later handed over to the police.
On December 18, 2020, another passenger named Jamil Ahmed (28) arriving from Dubai was found in possession of 14 gold bars and some gold jewellery, totalling nearly 2 kilogrammes in weight and valued at about Tk 1.25 crore. Twelve of these bars were cleverly concealed on Jamil's thigh.
On September 19, 2018, 40 gold bars weighing 4.064 kilogrammes were seized from a passenger named Zahid Hossain arriving from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The recovered gold is valued at approximately Tk 2 crore.
Earlier that year, on January 3, Customs recovered 60 gold bars weighing nearly 7 kilogrammes from a flight arriving via Fly Dubai. The estimated value of this gold was around Tk 3.5 crore. In connection with this incident, Karimul Islam, a mechanical assistant at Biman Bangladesh Airlines, was arrested.
On July 23, 2017, authorities conducted a raid on the luggage hold of a flight arriving from Abu Dhabi and recovered 30 gold bars weighing 3.5 kilogrammes. The flight was returning to Dhaka via Sylhet. Although the gold shipment was seized, no one was apprehended in connection with the incident.
Earlier, on December 17, 2016, Customs seized 16 gold bars weighing 1.872 kilogrammes from a flight arriving from Dubai. Again, no arrests were made in this case.
On November 16 of the same year, Customs recovered 80 gold bars weighing 9.3 kilogrammes from the Osmani International Airport, with an estimated value of around Tk 4.5 crore.
The gold bars were recovered from beneath the seats of a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight. The bars, wrapped in paper, were found under two seats on the flight arriving from Dubai.
However, law enforcement agencies were unable to apprehend anyone in connection with this incident.
On March 17 of that year, five gold bars weighing 580 grams were seized, but again, no arrests were made. On April 24, Customs recovered 432 grams of gold from a Bangladeshi expatriate returning from London, which was subsequently settled according to baggage rules.
In 2015 and 2014, Customs seized a total of 19 kilogrammes of gold at the Osmani International Airport. Additionally, reports indicate that incidents involving the seizure of 100 and 200 grams of gold, along with customs violations and legal disputes, occur frequently.
According to local sources, a powerful smuggling ring is using Osmani International Airport as a hub to bring in gold shipments from various Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates. Occasionally, smaller shipments also come from Saudi Arabia.
However, the majority of the seized gold shipments have been traced back to Dubai.
Although the smugglers bring gold disguised as passengers, the real intention is to transport it to various destinations both domestically and internationally.
