1,300 banned Gouri cream jars seized at Ctg airport

Authorities seized 1,300 jars of banned skin-whitening Gouri cream from a passenger arriving at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram from Dubai on Saturday.

The creams, valued at approximately Tk 4.55 lakh, were seized during a search led by intelligence agency officials at around 9:35 AM.

Airport Public Relations Officer Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil said the passenger, identified as Mohammad Zahed from Satkania upazila, arrived on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Dubai. His suspicious behaviour prompted the search.

The seized products were handed over to airport customs. The passenger was verbally warned and released as it was his first involvement in such an incident, the official said.

Gouri cream, manufactured in Pakistan, is among eight skin-whitening products banned by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) in 2020 after tests detected harmful levels of mercury and hydroquinone.

sks