Customs officials today detained two Japanese citizens along with 30 gold bars, weighing around 12 kilogrammes, from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

The detainees -- Takeo Mimura and Shuichi Sato -- came to Bangladesh from Malaysia on flight number AK 71 of Air Asia, Director General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) Md Shahidul Islam, told The Daily Star.

The CIID official said the customs officials, acting on a tip-off, questioned the duo after they crossed the Green Channel and found 30 gold bars searching their bodies.

The bars were kept in a pocket sewn inside the trousers of one of the Japanese citizens, he said.

The market price of the gold is Tk 6 crore, the official said.  

They were handed over to the police, he said adding that this is the first time any citizen of Japan has been detained in connection with gold smuggling.