Gold smuggling, air hostess sentenced to 10 years RI

Court decision

A Dhaka court on Monday sentenced an air hostess to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) in connection with seizure of 9.5 kilograms of smuggled gold recovered from her possession during a search at Shahjalal International Airport in 2019.

Faisal Atiq Bin Kader, Judge of the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka, pronounced the sentence in presence of accused Rokeya Sheikh Moushumi in the courtroom.

State counsel Shahabuddin Mia said the court also fined Rokeya Tk 50,000. She will have to serve three more months if she fails to pay the fine.

The court acquitted three others- Sohel Khan, Asaduzzaman Prokash alias Bappy and Farid Hossain Jonny as the charges brought against them were not proved.

Police arrested Rokeya at the airport on September 5, 2019, upon her arrival from Muscat via Chattogram.

The Armed Police Battalion personnel found 82 gold bars taped to her body. The market price of the gold was Tk 41 million.

The court framed the charges against the accused in February 2021. - Special Correspondent