Bangladesh has asked the North Korean diplomat caught with 27 kilograms of gold at the Shahjalal airport to leave Dhaka within 72 hours.
The ministry of foreign affairs’ Director General East Asia Pacific Md Jashim Uddin conveyed this to the North Korean ambassador Ri Song Hyon after summoning him on Monday.
Authorities recovered 170 gold bars, weighing 27kg, from a North Korean first secretary Son Yung Nam at the Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Friday.
He was nabbed but let off under diplomatic norms.
He was asked to leave because according to Vienna convention he cannot be prosecuted in a host country’s court unless his government waives his diplomatic immunity.
The foreign ministry, however, asked the ambassador to convey to Pyongyang that Dhaka wants that the first secretary be brought to justice in his own country.
The ambassador has also been asked to inform the Bangladesh foreign ministry about what actions it has taken against him, a senior official privy to the issue told bdnews24.com.
Customs recovered gold bars from his hand baggage as he returned to Dhaka from Singapore after what the diplomat claimed an official tour.
He, however, could not produce any document to substantiate his contention.
Customs later released him under provisions of the Vienna convention after discussing with the foreign ministry when the North Korean ambassador rushed to the airport.
The ambassador “apologised” to the government for this incident through the foreign ministry director general.
He also assured that he would convey Dhaka’s message to his government.
Smuggling gold has become a regular phenomenon at Dhaka and Chittagong airports particularly in the last two years.
Some analysts credited it to the raising tariff in India. Smugglers use this route to get into the Indian market as Bangladesh and India share mostly porous border.
But this is the first time a serving diplomat has been caught with so much gold.
Source: Bd news24
