Customs seizes 212kg more Apan Jewellers gold from Gulshan's Suvastu Tower outlet

Customs detectives have 'seized' 212 kilograms of gold ornaments from Apan Jewellers' showroom at Gulshan's Suvastu Tower.

Customs intelligence officials on Monday raided the outlet that was sealed during its previous operation the previous day.

The store inside the tower at Gulshan-2 was closed by customs detectives on Sunday because it was a weekly holiday for shops in that area.

It was reopened and searched on Monday, said Shafiur Rahman, joint commissioner of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID).

"Such operations will continue," said Saifur after the raid.

The value of the seized gold ornaments has been put at Tk 830 million.

"Apan Jewellers could show papers of only 25 kg gold," saifur said.

He said diamonds of 1,840 carat worth Tk 111.4 million were also 'seized' during the raid. The jeweller provided papers of only 600 carat diamond, he added.

The shop was sealed off again after giving the custody of the 'seized' jewellery to Apan Jewellers authorities.

"They said they would be able to show the papers within May 17," Saifur added.

Customs earlier summoned Apan Jewellers owners to explain on that day how they had collected the gold and gems.  

The leading jewellery brand pulled in focus after Shafat Ahmed, son of one of its owners Dildar Ahmed, was accused of raping two university students in a Dhaka hotel. 

The CIID began investigating the allegations of gold smuggling against Apan Jewellers following an order by the National Board of Revenue.

Five outlets including the one inside Gulshan’s Suvastu Tower was raided on Sunday as part of that measure.

A total of 286kg of gold jewellery and 61 grams of diamonds worth over Tk 850 million were seized from its stores in Mouchak, Uttara, Jigatala and Gulshan DCC market.