KATHMANDU: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has completed the second phase of its investigation into the 61 kg gold smuggling case. The CIB has submitted its findings to the District Attorney's Office in Kathmandu concerning the gold, which was initially concealed in brake shoes and passed through customs at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) but was later intercepted outside the airport following a tip-off.
During the second phase of the investigation, it was discovered that the smuggling operation extended beyond brake shoes to include other items such as water heating pumps, digital watches, and various other goods. This phase also uncovered the involvement of additional parties, leading to the arrest and interrogation of 20 individuals, including nationals from India and China, associated with the five companies implicated in the smuggling operation.
The CIB has formally requested compensation amounting to Rs 266.68 billion from those allegedly involved in the smuggling case. Moreover, operators of jewelry stores were implicated in the controversy for allegedly making payments to the smugglers through mobile wallets, specifically Easy Pay and Paywell. These wallets were used to process transactions totaling Rs 125 billion, conducted through agents operating without approval from Nepal Rastra Bank. The chairman and employees of these wallet services have been arrested for their involvement.
Furthermore, investigations have revealed that despite claims of processing Rs 125 billion, actual transactions linked to the seized wallets amounted to only Rs 4 billion. The broader investigation into gold smuggling in Nepal has indicated that the 61 kg case is just one instance among many, with police reporting a total of 3,194 kilograms of smuggled gold within a year. The investigation also highlighted the creation of fake companies to facilitate such illegal activities.
