Dhaka: 2 Japanese held with 12 kg of gold in pant pockets

Customs officials at Bangladesh’s main airport in Dhaka said on Thursday they seized gold bars weighing about 12 kg from two Japanese nationals from Malaysia.

According to reports, Payel Pasha, deputy director of Bangladeshi Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, said acting on a tipoff, they detained the Japanese nationals with 30 gold bars worth 60 million taka (about 714,285 U.S. dollars).

He said that the Japanese men were arrested when crossing green channel at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with the gold bars found hidden in their pant pockets.

According to the official, the Japanese nationals were handed over to the local police.

Sources said organised gangs of local smugglers having link with their foreign sidekicks have been increasingly using Bangladesh as a transit for illegal transportation of gold, foreign currencies, contraband and drugs.