Bangladesh, Sept. 5 -- The import cargo facility at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has been operating without a functioning scanner for nearly 10 months, leaving Customs officials dependent on documentation checks and physical inspections to identify suspicious consignments.

The scanner was damaged in a fire at the airport's Cargo Village Complex on October 18 last year and has not been restored or replaced. During a press conference held at Dhaka Customs House on September 3, Commissioner Mashiur Rahman said the process of procuring a new scanner is currently underway.

The lack of scanning equipment has drawn renewed attention after Customs officials recently recovered 16 kilograms of gold hidden inside fruit cartons at the im...