Kathmandu: In a major crackdown on illegal gold supply to Nepal, police have arrested 10 individuals, including two foreign nationals, in connection with the case. On Wednesday, officials from the Revenue Investigation Department made a significant breakthrough, seizing approximately 100 kgs of gold from the Sinamangal area.
The gold was illegally transported through Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) customs, undetected, and was seized from a taxi cab in the vicinity of Sinamangal, a locality near the airport.
The estimated worth of the gold seized on Wednesday is more than a billion rupees.
Those arrested have been identified as Krishna Shrestha, Pushpa Raj Shrestha, Rajan Shrestha, Chinese national Lin Chuang, Dilip Bhujel, Ram Kumar Bhujel, Harka Raj Rai, Indian national Thapten Tsering, Ashok Lama, Rajendra Rai.
The gold was found in a taxi with registration number plate Ba 2 Cha 2324, put inside brake shoes and electric shaving machines.
According to the Revenue Investigation Department, the seized gold, totaling around 80 to 100 kilograms, suspected to have been smuggled into Kathmandu from Hong Kong, was concealed inside motorcycle brake shoes.
The confiscated consignment was taken to the Mint Division on Thursday to determine its actual weight. The incident has raised questions about the efficacy of officials at the Department of Customs to curb illegal trade via the country’s international airport.
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