Gold dust smuggling in clothes a new challenge at TIA customs

Kathmandu, Aug. 18: After the Tribhuvan International Airport’s customs office tightened security checks, gold smugglers are found applying one inventive method after another to outsmart customs officers as well as police.  

This week, the TIA arrested two individuals who were carrying gold dust pasted to their underwear, vests and pants which they were wearing.    

One of the individuals was detained upon suspicion from the Tribhuvan International Airport’s welcome gate on August 14

He was 24-year-old Som Bahadur BK, a resident of Ward No. 1 of Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality of Sindhupalchowk district. 

“The man was arrested after his behaviour looked suspicious. We were shocked after checking his clothes through an x-ray machine. His brown cotton pants and black underwear contained gold,” said Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) Shyam Lal Gyawali, chief at Tribhuvan International Airport Security Office (TIASO).

The gold was crushed and turned into powder form and further moulded into a clay-like state to stick between his wears. BK had landed in Kathmandu via Fly Dubai from Dubai.

According to police, the clothes containing gold seized from BK weighed around one kilogram in total.

During investigation, authorities found that BK was scheduled to meet a person and hand him the clothes laced with gold.

“Dhan Bahadur BK, 30, from Ward No. 5 of Bhotekoshi, was arrested on the same day when he arrived to receive the clothes,” read a statement by the TIASO. 

Similarly, on August 15, another individual was arrested while smuggling gold by applying the same tactic.

He was identified as 28-year-old Riwaj Gajmer, a resident of Ward No. 4 of Pathari-Shanishchare Municipality in Morang district.

Gajmer, who also arrived via Fly Dubai from Dubai, was also held from the welcome gate by the authorities after observing his suspicious activities. 

“A brown pair of cotton pants, brown undershirt and black-brown underwear worn by Gajmer were laced with gold. The weight of the clothes was 1.7 kilograms,” the statement read. Police also arrested 26-year-old Sagar Neupane, a resident of Kamalamai Municipality in Sindhuli, who came to take the gold-containing-clothes from Gajmer.  

The four arrested individuals and the seized gold and clothes were handed over to the TIA Customs for further legal process and investigation.

“It is a new way of smuggling noticed at the airport. Regular checking has led to the smugglers applying different methods to bypass the TIA customs,” said Mahesh Bhattarai, chief at TIA Customs.

Bhattarai informed that they were unable to ascertain the amount of gold smuggled through the clothes.

“We did not have tools to extract the gold from the clothes as it was pasted in a unique way. We then sought help from the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers Association to retrieve the gold from the clothes,” Bhattarai told The Rising Nepal.

The Association assisted in extracting the gold Wednesday afternoon and it was found that Som Bahadur BK was carrying 418.310 grams of gold in his clothes. Similarly, 554.470 grams of gold was extracted from the clothes of Riwaj Gajmer.

TIA authorities at TIA have been seizing gold from belts, diaper buttons, electronic items, and even human rectum.