4.5kg Gold Seized from Malaysia Airlines Passenger at Dhaka Airport

Dhaka Customs House officials seized 4.5kg of 24-carat gold bars from a Malaysian passenger who arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Kuala Lumpur on a Malaysia Airlines flight early Sunday, following intelligence information.

The passenger was identified as 43-year-old Malaysian citizen Yang Don Sew, holding passport number A61828082. He arrived on Malaysia Airlines flight MH-0196 and was placed under surveillance after disembarking.

After passengers collected their luggage, customs officials, accompanied by intelligence personnel, stopped Yang Don Sew for a search as he was passing through Green Channel-1. The gold was recovered from his body at around 1:45am.

The seized gold consisted of four 1kg bars and five 100-gram bars, making a total of nine bars weighing 4.5kg. The bars, valued at approximately Tk8 crore, were concealed beneath his shirt and wrapped in a black cloth belt.

Officials said the passenger had not declared the gold and failed to produce any documents for it as required under the Customs Act 2023 and the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947.

The gold has been temporarily seized under Section 191 of the Customs Act 2023 as legal proceedings are completed.

Authorities are also preparing to file a criminal case against the passenger under the relevant laws at the airport police station.

Dhaka Customs House said it remains committed to working with relevant agencies to prevent gold smuggling and safeguard the country's national interests.