INTERNATIONAL gold smugglers have been using Bangladesh as a safe haven to smuggle gold into India taking the advantage of illicit nexus with the state-run aircraft’s officials, corrupt customs officers, policemen, border security force and poor security systems in airports. The latest seizure of 6.51kg gold and around Tk 30 crore worth of foreign currencies on Thursday from a smuggler’s apartment in the capital showed the runners uninterrupted network. The items were meant to be smuggled into India to fill the legendary appetite of the Indian market for gold that caused its government to raise tariffs on this precious metal in 2013. The government should not make it easy for the gold smugglers to use our country as a gateway for smuggling.
Numerous dailies said that detectives arrested Mohammad Ali, who is thought to be a member of an international gold smugglers racket. During the investigation of a 124kg gold seizure which occurred last month, one of the employees of the airport clearing and forwarding section mentioned the name of Ali in his confessional statement. An investigator said that Ali used to smuggle gold into Bangladesh employing some of his men, but he mainly bought gold from the people who smuggled it into Bangladesh in small quantities. During interrogation Ali said that the gold bars in his possession were owned by his friend Sirajganj Sadar upazila chairman Riaz Uddin. Riaz is also the organising secretary of Sirajganj Sadar unit Awami League.
After arresting five smugglers, including three state-owned airline’s high-ups, on November 2014, the arrest of Ali unveiled the smugglers disrespect to the country’s law. The use of Bangladesh as the gold smuggling route by the international mafia syndicate has unfolded the inefficiency of the country’s law enforcing agencies and detectives which rather prove their alleged involvement in the business. Though, the Bangladesh government raised the tariff on gold by nearly 20 times in the 2014-15 budget hoping to stem the flow of smuggled gold, nothing has been achieved except an increase in gold smuggling by evading the tariff and then smuggling it out to India.
Experts said the seized amount is most likely the tip of the iceberg. The unabated gold smuggling is only denigrating the image of the country. In order to stop the illegal trafficking of the smugglers and their kingpins the authorities should break the rackets by conducting drives regularly and by tightening the security at the airports. The government should form an anti-smuggling force to bring down the international rackets. Besides, the border security has to be tightened to prevent smuggling of the bullion to India.
