A Chinese national was arrested at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport on Thursday in connection with a record-breaking gold seizure. The Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) had confiscated approximately 100 kg of gold, suspected to have been smuggled from Hong Kong, making it one of Nepal’s largest gold smuggling cases.
Prior to this arrest, the DRI had already apprehended six individuals, including one Indian and five Nepali nationals, who were involved in the smuggling operation. Acting on a tip-off, the DRI conducted the raid and successfully seized the hidden gold, which had evaded detection during Customs clearance.
The detained Chinese national, identified as Ling Chuwang, is believed to be the owner of the confiscated gold. He was caught while attempting to flee the country on a flight to China. Additionally, a Nepali national, suspected to be associated with Ling Chuwang, was also arrested during the operation.
In response to the incident, a six-member probe committee, led by Man Bahadur Poudel, has been formed by the Department of Customs to further investigate the matter. The smuggled gold was cleverly concealed within motorcycle spare parts, and the attempt to transport it in a taxi was foiled by the timely intervention of the DRI, with the support of Nepal Police, outside the Kathmandu airport. Further verification is yet to confirm whether the gold was intended to be smuggled into India through Nepal.
