Biman staffer sent to jail after remand over Tk25.2cr gold seizure

Biman Employee Jailed After Five-Day Remand in Major Gold Seizure Case

Bdbusinessdaily.com – A Biman Bangladesh Airlines employee has been sent to jail after completing five days in police remand in connection with the seizure of nearly 14 kilograms of gold at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The accused, Mohammad Soaib Kazi Sojib, works as an assistant technical helper for the national carrier. He was brought before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque on 11 September after the remand period ended. Prosecutors asked that he remain in custody while the investigation continues, and the court granted the request.

Abu Bakkar Siddique, a sub-inspector in the prosecution department, said the order followed the prosecution’s application to keep Sojib in jail.

Gold valued at Tk25.2 crore

The case centres on 120 gold bars recovered from a Biman aircraft after it landed in Dhaka on 5 September. The bars had a combined weight of 13,992 grams, just short of 14 kilograms, and were identified as 24-carat gold. Their estimated value was Tk25.2 crore.

The aircraft, Biman flight BG-148/AJS, arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after travelling from Dubai via Chattogram. Customs personnel, the National Security Intelligence, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, the Criminal Investigation Department and other intelligence agencies carried out a search following a tip-off.

Investigators have alleged that Sojib acted suspiciously inside the aircraft during the operation. The case statement says that after seeing a Biman junior security officer and other security staff, he went back into the cabin and discarded a packet that had been concealed on his body.

Authorities later recovered the packet, wrapped in grey cloth, and found the gold bars inside.

Allegations of organised smuggling

The application seeking Sojib’s continued detention describes him as an active participant in an international gold-smuggling network. It alleges that he had been involved in bringing gold into the country from overseas for a prolonged period while avoiding customs duties.

Prosecutors told the court that custody was needed to allow a full investigation of the allegations. The claims remain subject to the ongoing legal process.

Sojib was first placed on five days’ remand on 6 September. With that period complete, investigators will continue examining the circumstances surrounding the seizure, including how the gold was brought onto the flight and the alleged role of those connected to its movement.

Why airport gold cases draw close scrutiny

Gold seizures at major airports are treated seriously because undeclared precious metals can be moved across borders outside formal customs channels. Such activity can deprive the state of revenue and may involve networks that use air travel, baggage handling or access to restricted airport areas.

Airports are therefore subject to security and customs checks involving multiple agencies. Searches may extend beyond passengers and luggage when intelligence points to possible irregularities involving aircraft, cargo, crews or other personnel with operational access.

In this case, the search involved the aircraft itself after its arrival in Dhaka. The alleged discovery of the bars inside the cabin has made the role of staff access a central part of the investigation.

The case was filed at Airport Police Station by Jamil Sarwar Ahad, an assistant revenue officer at Customs House. It was registered under the Special Powers Act, 1974.

The court’s jail order does not decide guilt. It allows the accused to remain in custody as authorities pursue their investigation and the case proceeds through the justice system.

The seizure represents a substantial quantity of high-purity gold, with the nearly 14-kilogram haul estimated at Tk25.2 crore. The outcome of the investigation will depend on the evidence gathered by the agencies involved and subsequent proceedings before the court.