SM Mizanur Rahman :
Criminal gangs have apparently taken control over the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) taking advantage of poor security measures by the authorities concerned, customs and police sources said.
They said the criminals are more ferocious nowadays and they even attack customs officials and passengers in a bid to snatch goods and other valuables from them at the airport.
These gangs under the cover of political parties continue to snatch huge amount of electronic goods, medicines and other products after carrying out attacks on customs officials at the customs cargo complex unit at airport and managed to make a good exist.
“We are worried over the attack on our officials. When our on duty officials try to resist the criminals to foil their attempt to snatch goods from the customs cargo complex unit, they are assaulted physically. And the criminals leave the place with the booty. It is very unfortunate for all of us,” Md. Lutfur Rahman, Commissioner, Dhaka Customs House told The New Nation on Monday. On August 10, a criminal gang numbering eight to ten led by the owner of SMI Courier Service Badrul Alam Shymol and his brother Fakhrul Alam Prince attacked the customs officials and snatched away 15 cartons containing various products from the cargo unit, he said.
Riadul Islam, Assistant Commissioner (Customs) and five other Assistant Revenue Officers-Mozammel Haque, Shahjahan Ali, Mostofa Zamal, Mahbubur Rahman and Abdul Selim Bhuyian came under attack by the organised criminals.
Later, the airport police raided the office of Badrul Alam Shymol at Uttara in the city and seized the goods.
Assistant Revenue Officer Shahjahan Ali filed a case with the Airport Police Station in this connection. Police arrested four alleged criminals-Sourav, 23, Jahangir Alam, 35, Anisur Rahman, 32 and Nabi Alam Munna-from different parts of the city in the last five days.
But Badrul Alam Shymol and his brother Fakhrul Alam Prince have not been arrested yet despite having video footage.
Talking to this reporter on Monday, Officer-in-Charge, Airport Police Station Kamal Uddin said at least 54 courier services are doing export and import business through the airport.
“Many things are happening here everyday. Some are taking place externally while other internally. It is not possible for us to tackle everything. We don’t have any jurisdiction to go to the customs cargo complex unit until the customs authorities call us,” he said.
Earlier on May 18, another gang led by Mohammad Asad and Lenin, accomplices of Shymol attacked Assistant Commissioner of customs Shahiduzzaman and issued him a death threat as he along with other officials seized huge amount of electronic goods worth Tk 1 crore and medicines worth Tk 7 crore from there.
The gang also sent coffin couture to Shahiduzzaman’s residence asking him not to interfere into their work. Otherwise, the official would have to meet death. A case had been lodged in this connection accusing Shaymol, Lenin and Asad.
Lenin and Asad were arrested and sent to jail. But later they were released from the jail for lack of convincing evidence against them. And police didn’t arrest Shyamol during that time. The criminals are getting protection and patronage because of their unholy alliance with a group of corrupt officials of police, customs, Biman and Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), sources at the HSIA said.
Replying to a query about the latest status of the case, Officer-in-Charge of Airport Police Station Kamal Uddin said the investigation into the case is on.
“We are going to submit the chargesheet of the case immediately. We have already launched drive to arrest other criminals, including Shyamol,” the OC said.
Meanwhile, leaders of Bangladesh Customs, Excise and Vat Executive Officers Association (BCEV) demanded immediate arrest of the criminals.
They said the criminals, who are involved in snatching goods from the HSIA, are issuing threats to the officials of Customs, Excise and Vat Department at the airport
Apart from customs cargo complex unit, criminal activities in and around HSIA are rampant despite different measures to protect the incoming and outgoing passengers from harassment and to check trafficking of currency and gold.
The godfathers of the smuggling syndicate, who use the country as transit route for trafficking gold and foreign currencies through HSIA, are yet to be identified and arrested.
Gold is being smuggled into Bangladesh from various countries whereas foreign currencies like US Dollars, Pounds, Euro and Saudi Riyal are being smuggled out every year.
On November 18 in 2014, plainclothes police arrested Mahmudul Haque alias Palash, the so-called ‘adopted son’ of Biman chairman Jamal Uddin; Captain Abu Mohammad Aslam Shaheed, chief of planning and scheduling; Emdad Hossain, deputy general manager (flight services); Tozammel Hossain, manager (scheduling); Mazharul Absar, a cabin, and Md Harun Or Rashid, proprietor of Uttara’s Farhan Money Exchanger.
Palash is now in jail with three other top Biman officials. However, Md Harun Ur Rashid of Farhan Money Exchanger is out on bail.
An official of Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police said there is no headway in connection with the gold smuggling cases.
From time to time, the customs recover smuggled gold, currencies and other valuable goods and arrest some people but the godfathers of the smugglers always remain behind the scenes.
It is alleged that some officials of Biman are involved in smuggling gold through the country’s premier airport. Besides, a number of employees of CAAB responsible for airport security are allegedly involved with the illegal foreign currency business and gold smuggling.
Some of them were arrested on different occasions but later released due to pressure of the CAAB union.
These CAAB employees-mostly cleaners, conveyer belt operators and security guards-are known as ‘carriers’ in the smuggling racket. They have links with high officials for smuggling of contraband items, according to plainclothes police
On the other hand, passengers arriving at HSIA from abroad regularly become victims of harassment by a section of unscrupulous airport staff right under the nose of the police and CAAB officials.
