Gold bars worth Tk 380m found in plane toilet at Shahjalal Airport

Aviation Security (AvSec) has seized 153 gold bars from the toilet of the cargo compartment on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines aircraft at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The airport authorities said in a statement on Sunday that the gold bars were seized on Saturday night. However, no arrests have been made in connection with the incident.

Airport authorities say that a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight (BG-348) from Dubai landed at boarding bridge C-2 of Shahjalal Airport at 9pm on Saturday.

Based on a tip-off, the plane was kept under constant surveillance even before landing. After landing, a joint operation was conducted by members of the intelligence agency and AvSec.

During the operation, a total of 153 gold bars wrapped in white cloth were recovered after a toilet panel was opened and the flight's cargo hold was searched.

Each recovered gold bar weighs 116 grams, with a total weight of 17 kg and 784 grams. The estimated market value of this gold is around Tk 380 million.

The airport authorities said that the seized gold bars have been handed over to the Customs authorities t the airport.

Airport authorities say that the relevant intelligence agencies have already begun a detailed investigation to identify those involved in the incident.