Take stern action against gold smugglers

It is concerning to know how crime, especially transnational organised crime, is getting harder to tackle because of technology, legal and systemic loopholes as well as innovative methods. As per a new report by this daily, transnational gangs are bringing gold bars into Bangladesh through legal means before smuggling those to India. These racketeers apparently approach people travelling to Bangladesh from the Middle East and Singapore, and give them gold bars weighing about 234 grams, the maximum that a traveller can carry under the Baggage Rules, 2016. Once the carriers arrive, syndicate members in Bangladesh receive the bars and smuggle them to India. In return, the carriers are compensated monetarily and/or have their flight fare paid. Some people that our correspondent spoke to actually view this as a profession, as they can get up to Tk 30,000 from each trip.

This is just one example of how transnational crimes are being committed using innovative methods. Gold smuggling, in particular, has been the subject of many such experiments. It's also one of the most reported instances of smuggling. We have almost regularly come across reports of people being caught with gold bars and bullions at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka or other airports in the country. Worryingly, sometimes such crimes happen with the help of responsible officials. One may recall that earlier last year, a Dhaka court sentenced two employees of Biman to 12 years in jail for their involvement in smuggling over 9kg of gold. The role played by the relevant authorities in handling smuggling cases also leaves a lot to be desired. In 2022, for example, after analysing 17 cases of gold smuggling spanning 2016-2020, the CID found evidence of police negligence in collecting necessary information from the accused. This is one of the reasons why often only the carriers are arrested, while those behind the smuggling rings remain unidentified and comfortably outside the law.

It is more or less known by now that Bangladesh is being used as a transit hub by many transnational smuggling and trafficking gangs because of its lax enforcement of the law and the oft-flexible nature of those in charge,the Dhaka airport being a case in point. Unfortunately, while these criminals are using ingenious methods and loopholes in the system to their advantage, our law enforcers seem to be failing to catch up to them. It is, therefore, vital that state officials remain cautious and proactive at all times if we are to reduce such crimes.

Since smuggling of gold involves a few other countries besides Bangladesh, coordination among local and regional authorities is also crucial to stop the flow of gold. For that, we urge the government to regularly engage with our regional partners. They all must coordinate and collaborate with each other because such crimes, the consequences of which are far-reaching, affect them all.