According to an official press release issued by the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Dhaka Customs House received confidential intelligence at approximately 9:35 PM on 2 September indicating that a gold smuggling attempt was underway aboard Flydubai flight FZ-523. Acting swiftly on the tip-off, customs officials stationed at the airport immediately mobilised to secure the aircraft.

By 9:40 PM, a meticulous search of the unoccupied aircraft was conducted in the presence of representatives from various intelligence agencies. During the sweep, officers inspected row 19, discovering a suspicious package wrapped in black adhesive tape tucked securely beneath seat 19A. The concealed items were transported to the main customs hall, where an exhaustive inventory count—witnessed by multiple multi-agency officials—revealed a total of 80 gold bars.

The NBR confirmed that the recovered bars weighed an aggregate of 9,331 grams. Perpetrators had ingeniously concealed the precious metal beneath the airline seat in a deliberate bid to evade statutory duties and import taxes. Because the consignment was found unattended, no immediate arrests were made at the scene, though investigations are ongoing.

The confiscated gold bars have been safely transferred to the secure vault of the airport customs warehouse. In accordance with standard legal procedures, formalities are already underway to deposit the precious metals directly into Bangladesh Bank. Meanwhile, a formal criminal case has been lodged at the local airport police station in connection with the incident.

The NBR reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the national economy and countering illicit trafficking networks. Authorities stressed that Dhaka Customs House maintains round-the-clock surveillance, and intelligence-led operations of this nature will continue unabated across all international entry points.