A passenger named Joni Rahman has been detained at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka after diamonds, platinum, rubies and gold jewellery were found concealed inside pickle jars. The seized items have an estimated market value of Tk 2.70 crore.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) disclosed the information through its Public Relations Department on Sunday (October 11).

According to the NBR, the Preventive Team of Dhaka Customs House and officials on duty during the C shift at the airport launched surveillance around 8:00 pm on Saturday following a tip-off about possible gold smuggling on a flight arriving from Kolkata.

During the operation, officials scanned the baggage of Joni Rahman as he was passing through the green channel without making a baggage declaration after completing immigration formalities. The scan detected metallic objects inside pickle jars. A subsequent search of his baggage led to the seizure of gold jewellery, diamonds and other precious stones.

According to the NBR, the seized items included 389 diamond-studded, 18-carat gold rings weighing 478 grams; 151 platinum rings weighing 450 grams; three diamond-studded, 18-carat white-gold ornaments weighing six grams; two diamond-studded silver rings weighing eight grams; five gold lockets weighing four grams; a five-gram gold chain; and 472 gold nose pins weighing 103 grams.

Officials also seized 45 carats of diamonds, along with 720 precious stones of various sizes, including topaz, rubies and other gemstones. In addition, 23 jewellery certification cards were recovered.

The NBR said the items were seized because they had been brought into the country without a baggage declaration. The total weight of the seized goods was reported to be 1,054 grams.

According to the jewellery certification documents, the estimated market value of the seized items is Tk 2.70 crore.

The NBR further said that the Preventive Team of Dhaka Customs House had filed a criminal case with the police against Joni Rahman in connection with the incident.