At Dubai International Airport, two travellers were caught smuggling gold bars painted and molded to look like belt buckles.

The 24-karat gold bars weighed 2.3kg and were estimated to be worth Dh485,700, Dubai Customs said Thursday.

High-tech scanners and eagle-eyed inspectors found the gold pieces in several bags carried by the duo.

One passenger was caught with 1.072kg of gold, worth Dh225,120, while the other had 1.24kg, worth Dh260,610.

After scanning the first traveler's bag through Customs' high-tech X-ray machines, the skilled inspectors found unusual densities on both sides," said Ibrahim Al Kamali, director of Dubai Customs' passenger operations department.

The inspectors confirmed that the unusual belt buckles found in the bag were painted gold bars.

The other passenger's luggage also had the same irregularity. Necessary legal measures were then taken against the duo.

Dubai Customs has one of the world's most advanced systems in place, according to Al Kamali.

He added that the department is committed to enrolling customs officers in specialized and innovative training courses as well as investing in advanced detection devices.