Teknaf: A Burmese Muslim woman was arrested by the Border Guard Bangladesh with gold that was allegedly to be smuggled into Burma at the border gate in Teknaf, in southeastern Bangladesh.
The woman was identified as Shamima Akhter from Maungdaw, a border town in western Burma's Arakan State, situated opposite Teknaf.
The BGB source said ten ticals of gold were found hidden in the woman's body when she was searched by officers at the border gate who found her suspicious, on 6 August. The value of the gold in Bangladesh currency is 450,000 Taka, and 45 Lakh Kyat in Burmese currency.
A dealer of gold ornaments in Teknaf said Bangladesh gold does not make much profit in Burma but some Burmese people are buying Bangladesh gold because they prefer the quality.
"The gold price here is 45,000 Taka a tical and in Burma it is now 540,000 Kyat, and you cannot make much profit by smuggling Bangladesh gold into Burma. However, some Burmese people like the quality of the gold here and they buy the gold for their own use as ornaments," said the dealer.
He added that a Bangladesh tical for measuring gold is smaller than a Burmese tical.
According to the BGB source and traders, the woman entered Bangladesh on a seven-day pass on 13 July, and BGB arrested her on suspicion of having links to smugglers after she was found to have overstayed her visa and to be hiding gold in her body.
