KATHMANDU, Sept 12: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police is poised to deliver its investigative report on the high-profile gold smuggling case involving nearly 61 kilograms of gold brought from Hong Kong to the District Government Attorney’s Office.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Kuber Kadayat, who also serves as the Nepal Police Spokesperson, has confirmed that the report is ready for submission, expected to take place today or tomorrow. As the investigation into this organized crime has been ongoing for 60 days since September 17, it is imperative that the case reaches the court within this timeframe, according to Additional Inspector General of Police Kiran Bajracharya. She mentioned that the report is in its final stages, with some technical aspects yet to be addressed.
To date, the law enforcement agency has arrested 31 individuals in connection with the gold smuggling case, with 30 individuals currently in police custody. Among the apprehended individuals are Nepali, Indian, and Chinese nationals, as well as customs office employees.
Furthermore, it has come to light that some Chinese citizens have obtained Nepali citizenship, indicating a complex web of collusion involving customs officials in the smuggling operation. In light of this, recent arrests were made, including customs officer Pushpa Joshi, along with non-gazetted second-class officers Kamal Pariyar and Birendra Nepali.
The gold, concealed within brake shoes, was seized on July 19 during an operation by the Department of Revenue Investigation, after having been initially cleared through customs. Following 18 days of investigation by the department, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the police took charge of the case. The total gold content, previously estimated at 155 kilograms, has since been determined to be 60.716 kilograms of pure gold, now securely held by the Nepal Rastra Bank.