Customs intelligence officials have seized six gold eggs weighing 2.728 kg and worth an estimated Tk 4.91 crore in two separate operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, following an attempt to take the gold back to Abu Dhabi after failing to sell it at the expected price in Bangladesh.

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) conducted the operations on Sunday based on confidential information, according to a press release issued this evening.

In the first operation, a passenger, identified as Mohammad Minhaj, travelling on Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-127 from Dhaka to Abu Dhabi via Chattogram, was offloaded from the flight on suspicion of carrying gold.

The flight departed at 7:20pm.

Later, with the cooperation of the passenger, customs intelligence officials recovered three gold eggs weighing 1.364 kg.

In a separate operation, CIID officials seized three more gold eggs, also weighing 1.364 kg, which had been abandoned in the boarding bridge area of the airport.

The six gold eggs together weighed 2.728 kg and had an estimated market value of Tk 4.91 crore.

During preliminary questioning, those involved reportedly said the gold eggs had previously been brought to Bangladesh from Abu Dhabi. As they could not fetch the expected price in the local market, attempts were being made to take them back to Abu Dhabi.

The incident has raised questions about whether illegally imported gold is being sent back abroad when smugglers fail to secure their expected prices in the domestic market.

The CIID is investigating the actual source of the gold, the roles of those involved, possible links to a gold smuggling syndicate and their international connections.

Legal proceedings in connection with the seizures are underway, the CIID said.