Dhaka Airport Customs Seizes 1,655 Smuggled Phones in Fabric Shipment
Authorities at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport have intercepted a massive smuggled mobile phone shipment hidden inside a clothing cargo originating from Hong Kong. The seized haul, addressed to Thineous Apparials Limited, is valued at approximately 5 crore taka.
In a major customs enforcement operation conducted at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, aviation and revenue authorities successfully intercepted and seized a massive consignment of 1,655 smuggled mobile phones. The illicit cargo was cleverly concealed within a routine shipment of clothing items inside the designated airfreight area of the country's primary international aviation hub.
According to the verified details released regarding the operation, the controversial consignment originated from Hong Kong before touching down on Bangladeshi soil. The shipment officially arrived in Dhaka on August 31, 2026, remaining within the airfreight zone until authorities uncovered the contents during a thorough physical inspection of the incoming cargo.
Official documentation and shipping records associated with the intercepted cargo indicate that the declared importer of the commercial consignment is Thineous Apparials Limited. However, a stark discrepancy emerged between the officially declared manifest and the physical contents discovered by inspectors inside the airport's freight terminal.
While the official documentation filed for the cargo explicitly described the imported commodities as 'knit fabrics', the physical inspection revealed an entirely different reality. Instead of textile rolls, customs officials uncovered a staggering total of 1,655 mobile communication devices hidden deep inside twenty distinct packages that collectively weighed a substantial 895 kilograms.
A detailed inventory of the confiscated electronics revealed a diverse assortment of devices, prominently featuring 450 units of Redmi 14C smartphones alongside 150 units of Redmi 15C devices. Additionally, the haul contained another 1,055 phones comprising various other Chinese manufacturing brands as well as multiple pre-owned iPhone models.
Market estimates provided by the revenue authorities indicate that the combined commercial value of the entire 1,655-piece mobile phone consignment stands at approximately 5 crore taka. The operation underscores ongoing scrutiny by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) regarding cargo misdeclaration and illegal smuggling activities entering through the airfreight channel at Dhaka's international airport.
