Customs intelligence officials recovered 4.204 kg of gold-like paste, estimated to be worth around Tk 7.5 crore, from the tank of a high commode at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday evening.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, Airport (A-Shift), conducted the operation at around 6pm and recovered eight egg-shaped packets wrapped in polythene from the toilet adjacent to Belt No. 1 of the Customs Hall.
The packets were found abandoned inside the commode tank, with no immediate claimant, according to a press release.
The packets were recovered in the presence of representatives of different intelligence and relevant agencies working at the airport and taken to the inventory table at the Customs Hall for opening.
Upon opening the packets, officials initially found 4.204 kg of a substance suspected to be gold paste.
The authorities are now separating the gold from the paste through a registered goldsmith to determine its actual weight and purity.
Officials said the preliminary estimated market value of the recovered gold could be around Tk 7.5 crore. The exact quantity, purity and value will be known after the examination and separation process is completed.
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate is investigating the incident to identify those involved in leaving the suspected gold paste at the airport.