Kathmandu: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Nepal Police is investigating suspected gold smuggling involving Chinese nationals. The investigation was launched after the Revenue Investigation Department (RID) seized approximately 100 kilograms of gold from a house in Kathmandu.

The Chinese nationals involved in the smuggling operation are believed to have entered Nepal on tourist visas and claimed to be IT workers. However, the CIB suspects that they were actually involved in smuggling gold into Nepal from neighboring countries.

The CIB is now working to track down the Chinese nationals involved in the smuggling operation and to identify their accomplices in Nepal. The CIB is also working to determine the source of the gold and its intended destination.

This is not the first time that Chinese nationals have been involved in gold smuggling in Nepal. In 2022, the CIB arrested a group of Chinese nationals who were smuggling gold into Nepal through the Tribhuvan International Airport.

The CIB, in coordination with the police headquarters, received pertinent documents and evidence related to the seized gold on July 2nd. Acting on this information, a team led by SP Sanjaysingh Thapa was established within the CIB to carry out the investigation. This team subsequently began monitoring the suspected Chinese nationals.

It is reported that 10 Chinese nationals are under suspicion, with one person already arrested and the others blacklisted. These individuals are believed to be connected to international organized crime, involving gold smuggling across China, Nepal, and India.

The investigation covers various aspects of the suspected smuggling operation, including importing gold from Hong Kong, managing it within Nepal, and transporting it across the Nepal-India border. However, details about whether the Chinese nationals were solely responsible for the smuggling or if others were involved have yet to be revealed.

Initially, the Revenue Investigation Department faced difficulties in ascertaining the ownership and destination of the seized gold. This led the department to request surveillance of nine Chinese nationals through the immigration department.

The individuals under investigation and surveillance include Zhan Zhenwa, Yao Puchen, Win Xiangtza, Won Yan, Lin Wenwen Sun, Tuchen Yao, Juntan Chen, Jialin Li, Fuyan Liu, and Zhiquan Lin. These Chinese nationals arrived in Nepal ostensibly for IT business, and authorities are seeking further information about their whereabouts.

Key suspects who were arrested or detained in connection with the case include taxi driver Ashok Lama, customs agents Rajendra Rai, Dilip Bhujel, and his uncle Ramkumar Bhujel, Harkaraj Rai, Thupten Tshiring, and various individuals involved in customs operations and inspections.

The investigation, with a timeline of 40 days for general police investigation and 60 days for organized crime, was initiated following pressure from multiple quarters, including Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda.

The main opposition party, CPN-UML, has called for a high-level investigation committee amid suspicions that gold smuggling involved a company that had recently opened and possible involvement of high-ranking members within the ruling Maoist party.

As of now, the investigation is underway, with a focus on unraveling the intricate network behind the suspected gold smuggling operation that spans multiple countries.