Smuggling through Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has long been a persistent concern, but law enforcement agencies say smugglers have recently shifted tactics – allowing them to illegally move gold, yaba, mobile phones, cigarettes, cosmetics, and other restricted items in and out of the airport with ease.
Despite tighter monitoring, several consignments have been intercepted over the past two weeks.
According to airport and intelligence sources, gold, mobile phones, and cigarettes have frequently been smuggled in via Biman Bangladesh Airlines flights, particularly those arriving from Dubai and Sharjah.
Facing stricter screening at times, smuggling rings have adjusted their operations to exploit gaps in domestic–international passenger flows.
Investigators report that smugglers place their own operatives on flights coming from Dubai or Sharjah and transiting through Chittagong before arriving in Dhaka.
Illegal goods, especially gold and mobile phones, are discreetly handed over mid-flight.
After landing in Dhaka, international passengers exit through one terminal, while those boarding from Chittagong depart through the domestic terminal.
As a result, even when intelligence agencies have information on specific incoming international passengers, the goods often leave the airport undetected through the domestic channel.
Smugglers arriving from abroad then exit freely through the international terminal without being found with the contraband.
Law enforcement agencies eventually detected the tactic and increased surveillance on Biman flight BG148, which operates the Dubai–Chittagong–Dhaka route.
Over the past two weeks, intensified searches of both international and domestic passengers have led to significant seizures.
Authorities recovered 188 mobile phones, 3,244 cartons of cigarettes, 859kg of assorted cosmetics, 173 kg of banned Gauri cream, and 379 litres of perfume – worth an estimated Tk2.42 crore.
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Executive Director SM Ragib Samad told Dhaka Tribune that the airport authorities were aware of the smuggling pattern.
“Instructions have already been issued to all concerned. Around Tk2.5 crore worth of illegal goods has been seized through our efforts. We remain alert.”
Airport Armed Police Battalion (APBn) Superintendent Mozammel Haque said surveillance around the airport perimeter has been strengthened to prevent smugglers from slipping out with illegal goods.
“Several raids have been conducted recently. We have seized gold and yaba as well,” he said.
“In November alone, we arrested six people with about 4kg of gold, 6,378 pieces of yaba, 89 mobile phones, and 773 cartons of cigarettes,” he added.
Authorities say further operations are underway as intelligence points to several organized networks continuing to exploit vulnerabilities within airport procedures.
