Approximately 100 kilograms of gold has been seized by the Revenue Investigation Department so far, along with eight individuals, including a Nepalese citizen. The arrest took place in various locations, including Dolakha Melung Village 3, Sankhu, and Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu. The arrested individuals include 53-year-old Ram Kumar Bhujel from Melung Village 3, 21-year-old Dilip Bhujel from Sankhu, 49-year-old Harkaraj Rai from Budhanilkantha, and 53-year-old Thapten Chiring, who is an Indian citizen. These details were provided by the spokesperson of the Revenue Investigation Department, Navaraj Adhikari.
According to the spokesperson, no conclusive results have been found regarding the actual amount of gold smuggled so far. He mentioned that not all the smuggled gold has been recovered, as some of it might still be hidden. The investigation is ongoing, and there is a possibility that the amount of seized gold may exceed 1 quintal.
The illegal gold was seized from a taxi with registration number Sun BA 2 CH 2324, which was heading from Tribhuvan International Airport to Bhansar Customs Office via Sinamangal. The gold was concealed inside a scooter’s brake lining, making it difficult to detect during the initial inspection.
The authorities suspect the involvement of a large-scale smuggling operation behind this seizure. The investigation has led to the confiscation of around 160 pieces of gold fragments in the initial phase. The Bhansar Customs Office has not yet provided any specific information on this matter.
The procedure of smuggling the gold concealed in motorcycle parts was detected through investigation. The seized gold will be sent to the Department of Revenue Investigation at Hariharbhawan for further examination to determine its purity. The Tax Department of Nepal Rastra Bank will also be involved in verifying the gold’s authenticity.
An officer from the Revenue Investigation Department present at the airport had received a prior tip-off about the gold smuggling, and due to this information, the successful interception of the smuggled gold was made. An employee working at the airport was also involved in the operation to intercept the smuggled gold.
The investigation team is still conducting an undercover operation to find more individuals associated with the smuggling. Some individuals are still at large.
Based on special information obtained that the gold was concealed as spare parts and illegally imported from Hong Kong, the Special Task Force, formed by the department on Wednesday, successfully seized the said gold.
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