ACC awaits govt nod on probe into wealth of Biman officials

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is ready to begin a probe into suspected fabulous wealth of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BBA) officials allegedly having a nexus with gold-smuggling rackets, official sources said.

On the other hand, police intelligence is learnt to be preparing a list of the big shots on the basis of clues given by some Biman officials and other suspects arrested in a recent crackdown.         

"The commission is just waiting for government permission in this connection to start investigation about the suspected officials in Biman," a number of officials in the watchdog said.

The decision came recently as a number of Biman high officials' involvement in smuggling gold came to light after three of them were arrested.

According to a specialized branch of police, more than 60 Biman officials are involved in gold smuggling. They work for 11 local and international top syndicates at the country's three international airports.

Intelligence data show seven syndicates at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), three at Shah Amanat International Airport (SAIA) in Chittagong and one at Osmani International Airport (OIA) in Sylhet using the Biman officials for gold smuggling.

"The ACC is making a decision to examine the legal and illegal wealth of Biman officials as a section of executives of the airline are involved in gold smuggling," a high official of the ACC told the FE, requesting anonymity.

He said the commission is collecting some information against the suspects.

The official said now the commission was waiting for government's green signal to start investigation against the high-profile government officials.

He said primarily the ACC wants to examine arrested top officials and then others whose names came up in the investigation into the recent gold-smuggling incidents.

Recently, the law-enforcement department found involvement of a good number of top Biman officials, including air pilots, cabin crews, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) officials and security officials in gold smuggling.

The lure of huge margins from the informal trade in the precious metal corrupts many. Smugglers get around Tk 0.8 million in profits if 1.0kg gold can be smuggled to India, as on every 10 gram of gold tax is only Tk 150 in Bangladesh whereas around Tk 4,000 in India, insiders said.

According to sources in the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) of Bangladesh, the directorate had seized a record amount of 112 kilograms of gold in the first four months of the current fiscal year.

The data also showed that in FY' 2013-14, the seized gold amounted to 565 kilograms and 88 persons were arrested at the country's three international airports.

Besides airway, the CIID said, in recent times the smugglers are using alternative routes like railway to take the gold to the border in order to smuggle it out to neighbouring India.

An official of the Detective Branch (DB) said in recent times the law-enforcement agency identified more than 60 high officials of the national flag-carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines as suspects in connection with local and international gold-smuggler syndicates.

He said the DB was going to prepare a list of smugglers, including those in Biman and CAAB who are directly or indirectly involved in gold and other smuggling acts at airports.

He mentioned that Mahmudul Haque Palash, 'godson' of an influential contractor known to have close ties with top officials at Biman, was also arrested in this connection recently.  

Sheikh Nazmul Alam, Deputy Commissioner of the detective branch (DB) of Dhaka city police (north), said for ensuring security of HSIA the law-enforcement department has been carrying out a crackdown on local and international criminals who are tarnishing image of the country.

He said the intelligence department is very serious now after the arrest of five members of the racket from different areas of the city, including HSIA, Uttara and Bashundhara. They gleaned some of important information through the crime busting.

"We are observing the arrested persons' salaries are limited but they own wealth far beyond their means, including flats and land in several areas in the capital, and luxury cars," the DC of DB said.

They have information that many of Biman officials now are staying abroad to avoid getting caught in the crackdown as they are "directly involved in gold smuggling". Within a short time the law-enforcement department wants to go to rein them in.

Mosaddek Ahmed, acting Managing Director of Biman, said the ACC has the right to look into legal/illegal wealth of any person.

"We appreciate it. It is very good news for all of us if the commission examines the wealth of suspected Biman officials," he said.

Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), said the ACC should make a move for the investigation itself without seeking any permission, which could help boost its reputation.

He said, "To control smuggling, the Biman officials who are truly involved in smuggling should be given exemplary punishment to reduce such black marketing."

ACC's move against the smugglers within the state-run Biman will be very helpful in bringing the unscrupulous officials and businesses to book.  

According to Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BJA) consignments of some 310-320 kgs of gold are coming daily through the county's international airports, but the less than 5 per cent are caught.

World Gold Council report says after fulfilling the increasing demand about 200-250 tonnes of gold could be smuggled out to India in the current calendar year through its neighbouring countries.

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