New Delhi , India ( CNN ) The North Korean ambassador in Bangladesh issued an apology after one of the embassy 's diplomats was caught carrying 27 kilograms ( 59 pounds ) of undeclared gold into the country 's main airport in Dhaka , according to officials in Bangladesh . North Korean officials could not be reached for comment . Meanwhile , state media in the largely isolated communist country has not yet reported on the incident . Kazi Muhammad Ziauddin , a top official in Bangladesh 's customs agency , told CNN his officers discovered the gold on the afternoon of March 5th , after the diplomat arrived on a Singapore Airlines flight . Ziauddin said customs officials had received a confidential tip that a North Korean diplomat would be carrying `` illegal items . '' `` It was very tough . We have to be very careful and sensitive when we deal with a diplomat , '' Ziauddin said , referring to the Vienna Convention , which affords diplomats certain degrees of consular immunity . He said the suspect , whom he identified as Son Young Nam , the first secretary of North Korea 's embassy in Dhaka , initially refused to allow his baggage to be searched . `` He said there is no way we can open or scan his bag , '' Ziauddin said . `` At first he said 'This is an electric motor . ' After further questioning he changed his mind and told us , 'These are cipher machines and very confidential . ' '' Eventually , customs officers opened the diplomat 's bag and found the undeclared goods , that included 170 gold bars and golden ornaments . At current market prices , the gold would be valued at around $ 1 million . Entering Bangladesh without declaring this quantity of precious metal is a violation of the country 's customs regulations . An official with Bangladesh 's Foreign Secretary , speaking to CNN on condition of anonymity , said his government lodged a protest with the North Korean ambassador . It 's far too early to jump to conclusions about whether the alleged gold smuggling incident could be an isolated example of corruption or an effort to move official funds . Due to international sanctions , North Korea faces substantial obstacles when trying to access international banking systems . `` It would be interesting to see if [ the diplomat ] is disciplined when he gets back '' to North Korea , said John Delury , associate professor at Yonsei University 's Graduate School of International Studies . `` That would be a way of saying whether or not he 's a corrupt diplomat . '' According to the Foreign Secretary 's office in Bangladesh , the North Korean diplomat allegedly caught carrying the gold has since left the country . CNN 's K.J . Kwon contributed from Seoul .
North Korea apologizes to Bangladesh after one of embassy 's diplomat caught with 59 pounds of gold . Score: 6