Contraband goods worth Tk 2.04cr seized at HSIA

Customs officials on Thursday seized various contraband goods worth Tk 2.04 crore at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), official sources said, as part of efforts to curb smuggling, duty evasion and the import of prohibited items.

The seized items included foreign cigarettes, gold jewellery, banned Gouri cream and foreign liquor.

Officials of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate's Airport A-Shift conducted the operation following a tip-off.

They found three unclaimed, suspicious bags at baggage belt No. 1 while monitoring arriving passengers on Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-148 from Dubai. A search of the bags led to the recovery of 370 cartons of Mond-brand foreign cigarettes.

Officials seized a further 111 cartons of foreign cigarettes from passengers on other flights, taking the total haul to 481 cartons. The cigarettes were valued at around Tk 21.64 lakh, rising to approximately Tk 1.56 crore after adding applicable duties and taxes based on a total tax incidence (TTI) of 621 per cent.

A search of the handbag of passenger Md Tajul Islam, who was travelling on the same flight, revealed 99 grams of gold jewellery hidden inside.
A check of his passport showed that he had already imported 100 grams of gold jewellery without paying duty on 10 June 2026 under his duty-free baggage allowance.

Officials said the Baggage Rules 2025 prohibit duty-free import of gold jewellery beyond the prescribed annual limit, and the newly imported 99 grams were seized accordingly. The jewellery had an estimated market value of Tk 18,74,565, rising to nearly Tk 30 lakh after including duties and taxes.

The drive also recovered 12 kilograms of banned Gouri cream, valued at around Tk 2.40 lakh.

Officials separately seized 11 litres of foreign liquor, including whisky, from passengers arriving from Kolkata. The liquor was valued at around Tk 2.20 lakh, while its duty-paid value stood at approximately Tk 15.62 lakh, based on an applicable tax incidence of 610.30 per cent.

Legal proceedings are underway against the seized goods under the Customs Act, the Baggage Rules and other applicable laws. The directorate said such drives would continue to prevent smuggling, duty evasion and the illegal of import of prohibited goods.