Joynal Abedin Khan :Gold smuggling in Bangladesh has reached at an alarming level as customs officials seized huge gold weighing over 1100 kilograms worth over Tk 540 crore from different airports, sea ports, land ports and customs stations from July, 14 2013 to July, 2014 this year.Around 520 kg of gold was seized last year, whereas the amount was only 25 kg in 2012, according to officials of the customs intelligence unit of the National Board of Revenue.The gold smuggling in the country has resulted inmainly from the rise in import duty in India, said the customs officials. As a result, they said the smuggling syndicates are using Bangladesh as a transit point to smuggle the yellow metal to India, which has hiked import duty on it thrice to 10 percent since January last year.Customs officials said that gold bars were seized even from washrooms, lavatories and under plane’s seats, toilets, socks and shoes at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport and Sylhet Osmani International Airport, sea port, land ports and others customs stations.The customs authorities and the law enforcers had filed over one hundred smuggling cases and arrested at least five hundred people in this connection during the period, they added. Customs sources said that gold smuggling continues unabated allegedly in connivance with some dishonest officials in every airport and customs station defying the traditional rules and regulations of the country. “Gold is being smuggled out of the country through different land and sea ports of the country and the ports are being used as transit points for gold smuggling with the help of some syndicates,” they alleged.The customs sources added that a major portion of the gold was being smuggled into India through Banapole, Sonamasjid, Akhaura, Hili, Burimari, and Bhomra land ports.According to the baggage rules in Bangladesh, a passenger can bring gold bars weighing 200 grams by paying Tk 150 as duty for every 11.66 grams (one tola), and gold ornaments weighing up to 200 grams without paying any tax, said customs official Jannatul Ferdous. Customs Detectives Deputy Director Mostafizur Rahman said that they have seized more than 350 kg gold bars at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in the last two months.Meanwhile, the law enforcers have arrested many smugglers with huge amount of gold in Dhaka and Chittagong airports, but the kingpins always slipped out somehow, he said.A team of customs officials arrested four passengers with 320 gold bars weighing around 42 kilograms worth around Tk 21 crore at HSIA on April 20. Customs intelligence officials seized 904 gold bars weighing around 105 kilograms, from a flight of national flag carrier Biman at Dhaka Shahjalal Airport on April 26. “Bangladesh is being used as a smuggling route. Honest traders are challenged by smugglers who sell gold at a lower price,” said Dilip Roy, President of Bangladesh Jewellers’ Samity.He said that over 200 smuggling rings are active at HSIA. Unscrupulous officials and airline staff help these criminals, including foreign nationals, to smuggle gold, diamonds, foreign currencies and expensive drugs in and out of the country.A total of 3,650 people were arrested for smuggling in the last three years, said National Board of Revenue sources.Among them were 89 airline employees, nine female flight attendants, 396 officials of the Civil Aviation Authorities of Bangladesh (CAAB), 34 customs and immigration officials and 210 Ansar personnel. Of the others, 95 had links with different banks and 675 with transport agencies. The sources added that about 1,500 detainees were fined or sentenced to various jail terms by mobile courts. Moinul Khan, Director General of Customs Intelligence Department said that they have intensified vigilance round the airports and other customs stations with a view to stopping smuggling.
