Joynal Abedin Khan :
Cases of gold hauls into the country through airports and land ports, including Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), have alarmingly increased in last 13 months.
At least 23 domestic and seven foreign syndicates are involved with the smuggling incidents across the country, an intelligence report said.
Jewellery businessmen and money exchange traders are directly involved in the syndicates, this report said.
Seven of the gangs are connected with HSIA, three operating through Shah Amanat International Airport, and one is operating through MAG Osmani
The foreign syndicates are found operating from United Arab Emirate, specially from Dubai city, they said.
Customs officials and law enforcers seized about 1512 kilograms gold and arrested more than four hundred people, including high officials of Biman Bangladesh Airlines and pilots, in this connection, it also said.
However, only 173 gold smuggling cases were filed out of 158 incidents.
Report said at least 272 employees of Biman Bangladesh Airlines are involved in the incidents of gold smuggling, the report said.
Among of them, five are pilots, four co-pilots, 25 cabin crew, 15 flight stewards, seven junior parsers, three
flight parsers, five chief parsers. At least 44 unscrupulous officials, including two pilots and 34 cabin crew are still hiding from last December when ten Biman officials were arrested, sources said.
Moreover, many unscrupulous officials of Civil Aviation Ministry officals are involved with the smuggling incidents.
The Airlines authorities have already issued notice to absconding pilots and cabin crew to join the office. But no responses so far came from them.
A detained Biman crew Mazharul Afsar Russel was arrested on November 12 with five gold bars weighing 2.6kg.
In a confessional statement given to the Magistrate on November 17, Russel gave names of 61 Biman and CAAB employees allegedly involved in gold and currency smuggling.
According to the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID), more than 4,000 people were arrested for smuggling through the Dhaka Airport in the last three years. They include 89 airline employees, 396 CAAB men.
Dr Moinul Khan, Director General of Customs Intelligence told The New Nation on Thursday that the investigation committee submitted a report over gold recovery report and we will take action against those responsible.”
The DG said, “Organized criminals are involved with the smuggling. There are also underworld transactions. We are trying our best to resist it. Although we have certain limitations.” Ha said that authorities have strengthened enforcement and using other tactics to end the smuggling spree.
“However, despite manpower and technology crunch, we are getting some results,” he said.
