DHAKA: One person was arrested on Wednesday morning at Hazrat Shahjalal airport here with currencies of eight countries amounting to over Tk 1.22 crore while he was about to fly out, allegedly in connivance with some flight officials.

Four officers involved with flight operations were being interrogated on suspicion of their involved in the abortive currency smuggling, official sources said.

Airport customs sources said the arrested Babul Sardar, crossing all the security nets of the airport, boarded a flight of Qatar Airlines. But, acting on secret information, superintendent of the Airport Customs Intelligence Shamsuddin Ahmed offloaded Babul Sardar from the plane.

“The customs intelligence checked his luggage and found the currencies of eight countries. The currencies are of the UAE, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Singapore, England, the USA and the European Union,” said one official.

The superintendent told banglanews24.com.bd that immediately after the incident, four officers -- Mia Ibrahim of scanning division of customs, security officer of Civil Aviation Abdul Mannan, customs supervisor Mizanur Rahman and Ansar officer Nurun Nahar—were taken in for interrogation for their alleged involvement with the “currency-smuggling racket”.

Babul Sardar was arrested.

BDST/1345 HRS, JULY 21, 2010