Customs seize 370 kg Pakistani cosmetics at Dhaka airport, six held

Six passengers from Sri Lanka via Pakistan have landed in customs detective net after being found carrying 370 kilograms of cosmetic items.

All six are Bangladesh nationals and were arrested by customs sleuths on Saturday upon touchdown at Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka. 

They are Shaheen Alam, Dalim Hossain, 'Babul' and 'Minar' from Comilla, Md Mosharaf Bapari from Madaripur and Md Sheikh Khurshid from Narayanganj. 

Customs Intelligence Director General Moinul Khan told bdnews24.com that all six were travelling from Colombo via Karachi.

"They had made no declaration about carrying any commercial cargo in line with the baggage rules. Twenty-three bags belonging to them were identified when they landed at the airport. Then when crossing the Green Channel, they were questioned and searched leading to the find," he said. 

Customs Intelligence said these Pakistani products are used in 'beautification and skin care'. 

The arrested passengers had not obtained the necessary clearance from the BSTI as required by the import guidelines. 

The kind of bags they were using also cannot be used for the purpose, customs officials said. 

The clearance from the Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports is mandatory for carrying commercial quantities of goods. 

The customs said that the passengers failed to show the clearance. 

The market value of the consignment was estimated to be of the tune of Tk 2.5 million, Khan said.