Officials from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) intercepted illegal goods valued at an estimated BDT 2.04 crore—comprising foreign cigarettes, gold ornaments, prohibited cosmetic products, and imported alcohol—during a targeted operation at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

The seizure was executed on Thursday by CIID's Airport A Shift unit acting on actionable intelligence, according to an official media release issued on Friday.

Customs personnel monitoring the luggage recovery process for Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-148 from Dubai spotted three unclaimed, suspicious pieces of luggage on Baggage Belt No. 1. An inspection of the bags yielded 370 cartons of Mond brand foreign cigarettes.

Simultaneously, officers seized an additional 111 cartons of foreign cigarettes from incoming passengers on other international arrivals, bringing the total haul to 481 cartons.

The base market value of the confiscated cigarettes is estimated at BDT 21.64 lakh while their overall valuation reaches approximately BDT 1.56 crore when incorporating applicable customs duties and taxes under a 621 percent Total Tax Incidence (TTI).

During the same drive, customs officers conducted a physical search of hand luggage belonging to passenger Md Tajul Islam, who had arrived on the same flight from Dubai, recovering 99 grams of hidden gold jewelry.

A passport verification revealed that Islam had previously imported 100 grams of duty-free gold jewelry upon entering Bangladesh on June 10 of this year.

Under the Baggage Rules, 2025, air passengers are not eligible for a second duty-free allowance on gold jewelry within the same annual cycle.

Consequently, the newly brought 99 grams of gold ornaments were confiscated. The market value of the seized gold is estimated at BDT 18.75 lakh, reaching roughly BDT 30 lakh when factoring in duties and taxes.

In addition, authorities confiscated 12 kilograms of banned Gouri facial cream carrying an estimated value of BDT 2.40 lakh.

In a separate action, customs inspectors seized 11 liters of foreign liquor, including various brands of whisky, from passengers arriving on flights from Kolkata.

The base market value of the alcohol stands at BDT 2.20 lakh, rising to approximately BDT 15.62 lakh after accounting for total duties and taxes calculated at a TTI rate of 610.30 percent.

According to CIID officials, the cumulative financial value of all confiscated merchandise, including duties and tax assessments, stands at exactly BDT 2,04,07,000.

Formal legal measures are currently being processed in accordance with the Customs Act, Baggage Rules, and relevant statutory provisions.

CIID affirmed that specialized surveillance operations will persist to curtail smuggling activities, tax evasion, and the entry of prohibited commodities into the country.

With Inputs from UNB