Customs intelligence officers have detained an Australian national of Bangladeshi origin carrying around Tk 31.5 million worth of gold at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The man, identified as 61-year-old M Masood Imam, was apprehended upon his arrival in Dhaka on an Emirates flight from Dubai around 11:15 pm on Friday.

Acting on a tip-off, customs officials conducted a thorough body search of Masood and discovered a large gold coin in his wallet, according to Farhana Begum, assistant director of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate.

Authorities later found 28 gold bars stacked in two more wallets in his possession, she said. The total weight of the seized gold amounts to around 3.5 kg.

Masood was subsequently placed in the custody of the Airport Police Station, where a case has been filed against him under the Customs Act.