Dhaka: Officials of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport seized 19 illegally imported firearms from the Air Cargo unit of the airport on Tuesday.

Earlier on Sunday lthe CIID team seized two contraband Walther PP pistols from the same area of the airport, reports news agency UNB.

Tipped off, the CIID officials carried out a search operation inside the Strongroom-1 of the Air Cargo unit on Sunday last and identified the two illegally imported firearms (two Walther PP pistols) in an imported arms consignment containing total 58 firearms.

The CIID team again examined the remaining 56 firearms on Tuesday and identified 19 of them as illegally imported, said Director General of CIID Dr Moinul Khan.

The seized 21 firearms were brought illegally from Italy along with 37 other firearms.

Members of different intelligence agencies and firearms experts were present while examining the imported firearms, Dr Moinul Khan said.

Among the total seized firearms, 16 are Walther PP pistols while five are HK-4 brand pistols.