Pistol-like objects seized at Shahjalal airport
If ballistic tests by experts of the Criminal Investigation Department find them as firearms, a case will be lodged against them, and if those are toy pistols, they will be released on payment of customs duty, he told The Daily Star.
For toys, customs duty is around 150 percent while for firearms imported by civilians, necessary papers should be produced with 300 percent duty, Sohel said replying to a query.
Monir, from Sreenagar upazila in Munshiganj, said he owns three restaurants in Munich of Germany while Anis, from Jainshah village of Munshiganj, said he owns a departmental store in that country.
Both claimed to have been living in Germany for around 30 years and that they know each other.
Monir told this correspondent at the airport that the proprietor of Emran Arms and Co, a firearms shop at Baitul Mokarram in the capital, had visited Germany last year to attend a fair there when he got introduced with him.
The proprietor asked him to buy the gas pistols as those have demand in the film industry. He said each of the pistols cost him only 120 Euros (about Tk 10,500), but the arms shop owner assured him of paying Tk 50,000 for each of them.
Asked if Monir could show any document against his claim, the customs joint commissioner said he had declared those to the airlines as per the law and the airlines informed the airport customs accordingly.
Earlier around 2:40pm, Sohel on phone said that since the two tried to get the items cleared showing them as toy pistols, they called the Rab for expert opinions.
“Experts from the Rab scrutinised them and said the items are genuine firearms,” he said.
Contacted, a staff of Emran Arms and Co wishing anonymity said the shop sells only firearms directly imported from abroad.
He refused to give any contact number of the shop owner.
Source: The Daily Star
