Three more arrested in gold smuggling case

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 12: Police have arrested three more persons for their alleged involvement in the smuggling of 100 kg of gold to Nepal from Hong Kong. 

Two of them are Chinese nationals while one is Rohan Adukia, son of businessman Rakesh Adukia, who was also arrested in the case.

The Chinese nationals were arrested on Thursday and Adukia on Friday from the Tribhuvan International Airport.

The Department of Immigration of the TIA detained the Chinese nationals on Thursday and handed them over to the police administration on Friday morning. 

The arrested Chinese nationals have been identified as Li Jia Lin and Liu Fuyan.

According to the police, the duo were allegedly trying to flee the country on a Himalayan Airlines flight.

Both the accused are among the prime suspects in Nepal’s biggest gold haul, according to Navaraj Adhikari, Superintendent of Police of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB).

Adukia was arrested when he arrived in Kathmandu from New Delhi, India, via an Indigo flight on Friday.

Earlier, a Chinese national, who was travelling to Chengdu via the TIA, was taken into police custody in connection with the same case.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and Chief of Tribhuvan International Airport Security Office, Arjun Chand said that Adukia was arrested and handed over to the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI).

Earlier, the DRI raided the house of businessman Rakesh Adukia during the investigation.

 According to the Immigration Department, Rohan left Kathmandu on July 21. According to the record of the Immigration Office of TIA, Rohan was found flying overseas 41 times from Nepal in the last 16 months.

From March 29, 2022 to July 21, 2023, he was found travelling to various countries, including Hong Kong and India for 41 times.

So far, 21 individuals, including three Chinese, a Belgian and an Indian national, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in smuggling the gold

A team from the Department of Revenue Investigation confiscated the gold that was concealed inside motorcycle brake shoes from the Sinamangal area near the TIA on July 18. 

The gold was being transported in a taxi after getting customs clearance from the Tribhuvan International Airport.

The gross weight of the smuggled gold was ascertained to be 155 kilograms, which also included electric shavers, according to officials at the mint division of the Nepal Rastra Bank, which has been entrusted with examining the metal.

However, the actual quantity of the yellow metal remains to be ascertained by the DRI.