Kathmandu: In a recent development related to the 100 kg gold scam, two more Chinese nationals have been arrested. Li Jialin and Liu Fuyan were apprehended at Tibhuvan International Airport on charges linked to their alleged involvement in the scam.

Ram Bandhu Subedi, Chief of the TIA Immigration Office, confirmed their arrest. The Chinese nationals were taken into custody while attempting to travel to China. They have now been handed over to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) for further inquiry, as reported by TIA Immigration Office.

Prior to this, the CIB has undertaken an investigation into a suspected gold smuggling operation involving Chinese nationals. The investigation was prompted by the seizure of around 100 kilograms of gold from a residence in Kathmandu by the Revenue Investigation Department (RID).

The Chinese nationals implicated in the smuggling are suspected to have entered Nepal on tourist visas under the guise of being IT workers. However, the CIB believes they were part of a gold smuggling operation from neighboring countries.

Efforts are underway to identify and locate the Chinese nationals associated with the smuggling and to unveil potential accomplices within Nepal. The investigation is also focused on tracing the origin of the gold and its intended destination.

This isn't the first instance of Chinese nationals being implicated in gold smuggling in Nepal. In 2022, the CIB arrested a group of Chinese nationals for attempting to smuggle gold through the Tribhuvan International Airport.

Working in collaboration with police headquarters, the CIB has been provided with crucial documents and evidence regarding the confiscated gold on July 2nd. Based on this information, an investigative team led by SP Sanjaysingh Thapa was established within the CIB to pursue the case. The team has been monitoring the activities of the suspected Chinese nationals.

Around 10 Chinese nationals are under suspicion, with one already in custody and the rest blacklisted. These individuals are believed to have ties to international organized crime networks, engaged in gold smuggling spanning China, Nepal, and India.

The investigation encompasses multiple aspects of the alleged smuggling operation, including importing gold from Hong Kong, managing its presence within Nepal, and transporting it across the Nepal-India border. However, specific details about whether the Chinese nationals acted alone or had local collaborators have yet to be disclosed.

Initially, the Revenue Investigation Department faced challenges in determining the ownership and destination of the seized gold. Consequently, they requested surveillance of nine Chinese nationals through the immigration department.

These individuals under scrutiny and surveillance include Zhan Zhenwa, Yao Puchen, Win Xiangtza, Won Yan, Lin Wenwen Sun, Tuchen Yao, Juntan Chen and Zhiquan Lin. While these Chinese nationals arrived in Nepal ostensibly for IT-related purposes, authorities are actively seeking additional information about their activities and whereabouts.