Customs authorities have seized 300 cartons of cigarettes during a drive at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram.
The cigarettes were recovered from the baggage of a passenger arriving on a SalamAir flight from Muscat on Monday morning.
Airport Public Relations Officer Engineer Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil said the operation was conducted jointly by the National Security Intelligence (NSI), Customs Intelligence and the Airport Customs Branch, based on confidential information provided by the airport authorities.
The consignment was seized after searching a passenger on flight OV-401, which landed at around 8:50am.
The caught passenger was identified as Atikur Rahman, a resident of Banshkhali upazila in Chittagong.
Officials said a total of 300 cartons of cigarettes were seized, with an estimated government revenue of Tk6 lakh realised.
The recovered cigarettes have been confiscated at the Departmental Memorandum (DM) price and kept under the custody of Chittagong Customs House. However, the passenger was released after being given a verbal warning.
Authorities added that surveillance and enforcement activities by NSI, Customs Intelligence and Customs officials will continue to prevent the entry of prohibited goods and curb revenue evasion.
