Gold smuggling scam: CIB team sent to India, Hong Kong for investigation

KATHMANDU, AUGUST 31

The Nepal Police has sent a team of police officials including the one from Central Investigation Bureau to garner further information as part of the investigation on 61 kg gold smuggled into the country from Hong Kong, on Thursday.

On Wednesday, for the same purpose, Senior Superintendent of Police from CIB, Dinesh Acharya, was sent to Hong Kong.

The team sent to India will collect information on gold smuggling by establishing coordination with Nepal Police's SSP Uma Prasad Chaturvedi deputed at Nepali Embassy in India.

Inspector General of Nepal Police Basanta Bahadur Kunwar informed that information on smuggling of huge amount of gold was being collected by mobilizing police team across the country, and to India and China as well. Earlier, the police had written to INTERPOL in Hong Kong and India, seeking cooperation from them.

The TIA Customs Department had confiscated 60.716 kg of gold from the gate of customs office. The gold was smuggled from Hong Kong and found hidden in scooter's brake shoe. It was revealed with investigation that such amount of yellow metal was smuggled in cahoots employees at customs office. Following the revelation, some employees have been arrested in this connection.

Moreover, the police have arrested Nepalis, Chinese and Indian nationals in this connection. There are six foreign nationals including those from China and India.

After the police got information that the gold brought from Hong Kong illegally is taken to India, the Nepal Police deputed security team in Hong Kong to garner further information.

Twenty five persons have been arrested in connection with gold smuggling and investigation is underway.

A team led by Superintendent of Police at CIB, Sanjay Thapa, is investigating the gold smuggling scam.