Airport customs seize goods worth Tk2.04 crore in anti-smuggling drive
Officials recovered 481 cartons of foreign cigarettes during the day's drive.
Highlights:
- Authorities seize foreign cigarettes worth Tk1.56 crore
- Gold jewellery worth Tk30 lakh recovered
- Foreign liquor worth Tk15.62 lakh confiscated
- Banned Gouri cream worth Tk2.4 lakh seized
Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate officials seized smuggled goods worth an estimated Tk2.04 crore, including foreign cigarettes, gold jewellery, banned Gouri cream and foreign liquor, during a special drive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka yesterday (30 July).
According to a press release, officials of the Airport A-Shift conducted the operation based on intelligence information.
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During surveillance of baggage from Biman Bangladesh Airlines Flight BG-148 from Dubai, customs officials found three unattended bags on baggage belt No 1. A search of the bags led to the recovery of 370 cartons of Mond-brand foreign cigarettes.
In total, 481 cartons of foreign cigarettes were seized during the day's operation.
The cigarettes have an estimated market value of Tk21.64 lakh. Including applicable duties and taxes, calculated under a total tax incidence (TTI) of 621%, their estimated value stands at Tk1.56 crore.
Officials also recovered 99 grams of gold jewellery concealed in the hand baggage of passenger Md Tajul Islam, who arrived on the same flight.
Customs said the passenger had previously imported 100 grams of gold jewellery duty-free on 10 June this year.
Under the Baggage Rules, 2025, passengers are not entitled to another duty-free allowance for gold jewellery within the same year beyond the prescribed limit. The newly imported jewellery was therefore seized.
The recovered gold jewellery has an estimated market value of Tk18.74 lakh, while its value including duties and taxes is around Tk30 lakh.
The drive also resulted in the seizure of 12kg of banned Gouri cream, valued at about Tk2.4 lakh.
Separately, customs officials recovered 11 litres of foreign liquor of various brands from passengers arriving from Kolkata.
The liquor has an estimated market value of Tk2.2 lakh and an estimated duty-paid value of Tk15.62 lakh, based on a tax incidence of 610.3%.
Customs said legal proceedings have been initiated under the Customs Act, the Baggage Rules and other relevant laws.
The agency added that such operations against smuggling, duty evasion and the import of prohibited goods will continue.
