Gold smuggling linchpins held

Police say they have arrested nine smugglers responsible mainly for bringing in contraband gold into Bangladesh. The members of Detective Branch (DB) of police have picked up the nine from Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) International Airport in Dhaka with 70 gold bars. The detectives raided the airport’s immigration zone from Monday noon to night and arrested these nine men, Detective Branch Deputy Commissioner Md Masudur Rahman said on Tuesday. Another member of the smuggling ring was arrested from a house in Paltan area of the city, he said. The gold bars found in their possession altogether weigh 8 (eight) kilograms. They were also carrying Tk 3,500,000 and 5,000 Saudi Riyal in cash, said the DB official. ‘These are the masterminds of gold smuggling. They were trying to escape the country,’ said Rahman. Details will be provided at a press briefing later on Tuesday, he added, according to a news agency.