Gold smuggling eludes post-incidents vigilance

Gold smuggling through different ports in Bangladesh, including the main gateway, shows little letup despite tight vigilance by law-enforcement agencies in the wake of consequential happenings, sources say.
Although carriers of the consignments are being caught sometimes, 'godfathers' behind the screens go scot-free.
Officials of the Armed Police Battalion (APBN) deployed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) had seized a total of 910-kilogram (kg) smuggled gold since January 2013 till September 2023, according to data available with the law-enforcing agency.
A total of 100.14kg gold was seized in 2013, 35.55 kg in 2014, 221.11 kg in 2015, 80.41kg in 2016, 109.97kg in 2017, 71.07kg in 2018, 80.73kg in 2019, 26.47kg in 2020, 97.73kg in 2021, 48.81kg in 2022, and 37.91kg seized in 2023 (until September).
A different set of data prepared by Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) suggest that a total of 460.44kg gold had been seized since July 2021 till December 2023 at different border customs stations across the country.
CIID officials seized 224.24kg gold in the fiscal year 2021-2022, total 158.87kg in the fiscal year 2022-2023, and 77.39kg till December of the fiscal year 2023-2024.
The market price of the gold seized by CIID in last two and a half fiscal years is about Tk 3.48 billion, the CIID data also mention.
Catching consignments of gold by the law enforcers and intelligence agencies in Dhaka's HSIA has been continuing.
Officials of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department (CIID) on May 23 seized 46 pieces of gold bars worth around Tk 50.15 million, and arrested two foreign nationals at the HSIA.
The gold was concealed inside the batteries of three charger lights, and those bars' weight is 5.33kg.
APBN members and National Security Intelligence on March 16 this year arrested two persons, one is a car driver of a private airliner of the country, and seized a vehicle along with 40 pieces of gold bars worth around Tk 50 million at the HSIA.
In order to prevent gold consignments the government formed 'Gold Smuggling Prevention Committee' at the airports of the country last year. However, the committees' activities are said to be "limited to holding meetings".
APBN's Additional Superinten-dent of Police, Mohammad Ziaul Haque Zia, told this correspondent that members of the gold-trafficking rackets try to follow "new techniques during every consignment". However, law-enforcing agencies, including APBN members, are conducting raids "continuously to seize the consignments."
The official further said that at least 180 to 200 APBN members are continuously carrying out other duties at the HSIA, including prevention of smuggling in gold and other goods.
Air Commodore Mohammad Nayeemuzzaman Khan, Member (Security) of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), said they are always vigilant to tackle the gold smuggling through the airports of the country.
"We are holding meeting on a regular basis through coordination with the law- enforcing agencies deployed in the airport areas. We are also in a process to install international-quality equipment and AI so that we can be able to reduce the smuggling to a tolerable level."
Kazi Wahidul Alam, a prominent aviation expert, told the FE correspondent that in case of gold smuggling, only the carriers are being caught. "We do not see any initiative to catch the godfathers."
He further said, "Only a small portion of consignments is being seized due to lack of strict law enforcement. The same reason is encouraging the smugglers to continue their job. We don't see such high amount of smuggling in the airports in any of our neighbouring countries."

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