Kathmandu: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has been assigned the responsibility of delving further into a major gold smuggling case involving 100 kg of gold seized from a foreign country.

The Revenue Investigation Department (RID) handed over the investigation files to the CIB after 17 days of the initial seizure. The decision came after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' directed the RID to transfer the case to the CIB, which is under the Prime Minister's office, citing concerns over impartiality.

The case, which has implications of organized and trans-national crimes, requires a thorough and impartial investigation, prompting the involvement of the CIB. Initially, the Prime Minister intended to assign the investigation to the Revenue Investigation Department, but Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayankaji Shrestha requested it be handed over to the CIB, stressing the need to tackle organized crime effectively.

Despite a heated argument between Prime Minister Prachanda and Home Minister Shrestha over police involvement in the investigation, the CIB finally took charge under the Prime Minister's instructions. Chief AIG of CIB, Kiran Bajracharya, confirmed receiving the Prime Minister's directive and assured a prompt commencement of the investigation upon receiving the case file from the Revenue Investigation Department.

Currently, 18 individuals, including customs officers and foreign nationals, have been arrested in connection with the gold smuggling case. The CIB's investigation aims to uncover the complexities of the illicit activity and ensure justice is served to those involved. The case highlights the government's determination to combat cross-border crime and protect the integrity of the nation's borders.