DHAKA/ BANGLADESH: Bangladesh customs officials have seized gold worth around 130 million taka ($1.7m or £1.1m) from the hand luggage of a North Korean diplomat, authorities said.
170 gold bars weighing 27 kilograms was seized from the diplomat, Son Young Nam, First Secretary (commercial and economics) to the North Korean embassy in Dhaka, Kazi Md Ziauddin, Joint Commissioner of customs said.
The diplomat was released but Dhaka is seeking to press charges.
Son Yang was passing through the green channel from the Hazrat Shahjalal International airport in Dhaka on a late night Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore.
Najibur Rahman, chairman of the National Board of Revenue, said the diplomat was reluctant to have his bag scanned and was reported to have said, there was nothing to scan.
Najibur said, Upon finding the gold, we informed our foreign ministry and he was released on Friday under the Vienna Convention. The Vienna Convention forms the legal basis for diplomatic immunity and specifies the privileges of a diplomatic mission that enable diplomats to perform their function without fear of coercion or harassment by the host country.
Moinul Khan, head of Bangladesh’s customs intelligence department said: “It’s a clear case of smuggling. We believe he would have sold the gold to a local criminal racket. He is being used as a carrier.”
However, Bangladeshi authorities have said they plan to prosecute Mr Son.
The gold seizure came after local customs authorities recently said Bangladesh’s two international airports have seen a big rise in illegal gold movement, with smugglers frequently caught red-handed.
“Official figures showed the customs intelligence teams have seized nearly one tonne of the precious metal in the past 22 months, compared with just 15 kilograms captured over the previous five-year period.
Official figures show customs officers have seized nearly 1,000kg of gold in the past 22 months, at Bangladesh’s two international airports. –AC
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