Customs deposits 570kg confiscated Apan Jewellers gold into Bangladesh Bank

Some 570 kilograms of gold ornaments confiscated from Apan Jewellers have been deposited into the Bangladesh Bank.

Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) chief Moinul Khan said their detectives officially confiscated the gold and 7,369 diamond ornaments worth around Tk 2.7 billion on Sunday.

Tk 6.74 million in cash, which was also confiscated in the five outlets of the Apan Jewellers, was submitted to the central bank.

The CIID said in a statement around 500kg of gold and diamond ornaments were seized and kept under Apan Jewellers' custody after raiding the five showrooms on May 14 and 15 following initial investigations into specific allegations of smuggling against the jewellers.

The ornaments were apparently smuggled goods because the owners could not show valid documents of the procurement of those gold neither could they give any logical and acceptable explanation, CIID chief Moinul said.

He told bdnews24.com that 70kg more gold ornaments, including 21kg hidden in a secret chamber in its locker in the Gulshan outlet, were found along with the previously seized ones in the shops on Sunday.

"These will be kept in the Bangladesh Bank's vault and could be seized by the state once the case is disposed of. Measures will also be taken against the owners for dodging duty and related offences," Moinul added.

Representatives of Bangladesh Jewellers Samity or Bajus, along with police and RAB, helped the customs seize and transport the gold and gems.

Customs detectives interrogated the three owners of Apan Jewellers, Dildar Ahmed and his brothers Gulzar Ahmed and Azad Ahmed, twice following the raids.

Dildar is the father of Shafat Ahmed who has been arrested on the charge of raping two university girls at a hotel in Banani. Four others, co-accused in the case, are also behind bars.

Khan had said earlier the owners came up with some photocopied documents showing that they ‘procured’ the gold - 200g each from 200 people who had brought it in under the baggage rule.

“But they failed to produce any documents or receipts that show they had bought the gold from them.”

"Also, gold brought in under baggage rule is for personal consumption; it cannot be used for commercial purpose. They somehow collected these documents in an attempt to hide their misdeeds.”

The owners were first interrogated on May 17 when they sought 15 days to produce the valid documents. They failed to meet the deadline and sought more time to gather papers.

They were given the new deadline of May 30 to appear before the customs intelligence directorate, but they failed again to produce valid documents.