Smuggler held with 21 gold bars in Cox’s Bazar

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Thursday detained a man along with 21 gold bars weighing over 3kg at Ramu upazila in Cox's Bazar.

The detainee was identified as Md Abul Munsur, 40.

Lt Colonel Wahiduzzaman Tanjid, commanding officer of BGB-30, said the BGB had received information regarding a member of an international smuggling racket entering Bangladesh with gold around midnight on Wednesday. 

"We increased surveillance efforts at the Morichya checkpoint on Shaheed ATM Zafar Alam Arakan Road in Ramu upazila. During the drive, the BGB team signalled a covered van to halt. They performed a thorough search of a person in the van and recovered 21 gold bars hidden in his clothing," said the official.

The estimated worth of the gold bars is over Tk3 crore, he added.

The BGB official stated, "The detained individual is affiliated with an international gold smuggling syndicate. The gold shipments we recovered were illegally transported into Bangladesh by the members of this smuggling racket through the Balukhali border in Ukhiya upazila."

A case has been filed against the detainee at Ramu police station, he said.