CIB seizes 35 kg gold biscuits
KATHMANDU, JUL 10 -
In police's biggest haul so far against gold smuggling through the Tatopani customs, a team deployed from Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), on early Wednesday morning, seized 35 kg gold biscuits from a loaded container truck that was heading towards Kathmandu from Khasa in China.
The confiscated gold biscuits were hidden inside a false bottom created beside driver's seat, police said. Acting on a tip-off, CIB held the truck as soon as it reached Kathmandu. The operation took place in Koteshwor-35 at around 5:30 am in the morning. Driver Nima Chhiring Tamang, a 24-year-old local of Tatopani, who was driving the truck (Ba 3 Kha 2570) has been taken into custody. Police also seized Rs 17,000 and USD 100 in cash from the truck driver. The gold recovered on Wednesday is valued at over 170 million rupees.
According to police, the truck left for Kathmandu from Tatopani after clearing customs check-up after 12 am on Tuesday night. Tatopani border lies 115km northeast of Kathmandu.
"We have set on another operation along with the driver to reach out to the person who was about to receive the gold ," said DIG Prakash Aryal, the CIB Chief. "There are multiple rings of rackets smuggling illegal gold from China border. Few persons operating at the higher rings have already been identified." DIG Aryal, however, refused to disclose further information about the ongoing investigations.
According to informed sources, China has lately emerged as a gold trafficking source-point for Nepal, from where the gold is smuggled to India via land and then to other parts of the world.
SP Iswar Babu Karki, the CIB Spokesman said Wednesday morning haul is the sixth in row in last seven months. According to him, altogether 66 kg gold being smuggled from China have been confiscated so far.
In May this year, 16 gold biscuits, weighing a kilo each, were confiscated from four individuals who had transported to Kathmandu from Tatopani with the gold hidden in their shoe soles. The operation was carried by Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range, Hanumandhoka. Similarly, in two different incidents which took place in December last year, police nabbed 12 kg gold .
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