Customs intelligence officials recovered 80 gold bars weighing around 9.34 kilograms from the shoes of two airline staff members at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) deployed a team at the airport and intercepted the two staff members as they arrived on Emirates Airlines flight EK0582 from Dubai, according to a press release.

The gold bars were recovered from their shoes during the operation.

Each gold bar weighed around 117 grammes, while the total estimated market value of the seized gold is around 16.25 crore taka, according to customs officials.

The gold bars were allegedly concealed inside the shoes using a special method in an apparent attempt to evade customs checks.

The CIID is investigating those involved in the smuggling attempt, the origin of the gold and its intended recipient, the release said.

Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.