Seven firearms have been stolen by breaking into the vault inside the strong room of the burnt import cargo complex at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. Although the strong room remained intact during the recent devastating fire, authorities later found the vault’s lock broken and several weapons missing. The stolen firearms include U.S.-made M-4 carbine rifles and Brazil-made Taurus semi-automatic pistols.
On October 28, Biman Bangladesh Airlines filed a general diary at the airport police station regarding the broken vault, but no case has been filed yet over the theft. Police stated that there were 21 firearms in the vault; 14 have been recovered and seven are missing.
The cargo complex caught fire on October 18, causing massive damage, but the strong room was sealed in the presence of multiple agencies after the fire. However, during two separate inspections, officials found the vault lock broken and the firearms missing. The remaining weapons have now been handed over to the police.
Authorities from Biman, CAAB, NSI, Customs, and Dhaka Metropolitan Police are currently investigating the incident. However, the CCTV system was damaged in the fire, making it difficult to identify the perpetrators. Investigators say it is “suspicious” that valuable gold and diamonds remained untouched, while only firearms were stolen.