Cigarettes estimated to be worth Tk 15 lakhs were seized at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram on Thursday.
The Air Arabia (G9 523) flight from Sharjah to Chittagong arrived at Shah Amanat International Airport on August 10. The flight contains 303 brands of cigarette including ‘Easy’ brand.
The Customs authority of Airport branch suspected some baggages of various passengers including Farhad and Bilkis. After searching those bags, last Thursday afternoon a huge cigarettes of various brand were found.
In those bags, about 2 lakh 82 thousand cigarettes of 303 brands and 1 lakh 8 thousand cigarettes from Easy brand. The market value of these cigarettes is around Tk 15 lakh 60 thousand.
Chittagong Custom House Revenue Officer Rehana Parveen said the bags were searched on August 15 under the leadership of Joint Commissioner Nahid Naushad Mukul.
A total of 2 lakh 82 thousand shalaka were found in 1,410 cartons of 303 brands and 1 lakh 8 thousand cigarettes in 540 cartons of 'Easy' brand.
Referring to the cigarette shipments in Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport's history, Rehana Parveen said customs had increased surveillance at the airport area being tipped off the huge illegal shipment of the cigarettes.
Joint Commissioner Nahid Naushad Mukul along with Assistant Revenue Officers Apple Mahmud, Abu Taher, SI Hossain Ali was present during the raid.