Cryptocurrency payment made for gold smuggled via Dolakha: Police

By Our Correspondent , Charikot, Nov. 22: It has been revealed that the individuals involved in gold smuggling from Dolakha were also involved in illegal transactions of large amounts of foreign currency while paying for the smuggled metal.

During the investigation, it was discovered that an internationally organised criminal network was set up to smuggle gold to Nepal via China’s Rongjia border. 

In a press conference held on Tuesday, the District Police Office Dolakha revealed that those arrested in the gold smuggling had transacted Rs. 2.19 billion through illegal cryptocurrency in a year. Cryptocurrency transaction is illegal in Nepal. 

Currently, the price of crypto per unit is 138 Nepali rupees, according to Dolakha police. 

Fifteen smugglers who were arrested on charge of gold smuggling through the Lamabagar Phalak checkpoint of Dolakha, which is connected to the China border, were presented to the District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday after necessary investigation.

District Police Office has claimed that various criminal groups smuggled 33 kg of gold through the Lamabagar checkpoint of Dolakha for about a year.

According to the investigation conducted by the District Police Office, Dolakha, and the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police (CIB) on Tuesday, 33 kg of gold was smuggled from Lamabagar in Dolakha to Nepal through China’s Rongjia border in the last 10 months. 

It has also been revealed that 27 persons, including two foreigners, were involved in the smuggling.

The police also said that it was found that the traffickers, especially using children, put the gold in potato and millet flour sacks and transported the smuggled gold to Kathmandu by public vehicles.

According to the police, during the investigation, the fact that the smugglers used to fasten gold sacks with ropes and send them from China’s Tibet to Nepal and in return, the smugglers also sent dollars, yarsagumba, and musk in the same sacks to China from Nepal. 

According to the police, it was also found that some of the smuggling groups did not know each other. 

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Deepak Khadka said that so far, a total of 27 persons have been found involved in the smuggling and of them, 15 were arrested and 12 are on the run. 

According to the police, these groups have been involved in the smuggling of gold from November 2022 to September 23, 2023. 

Police Inspector Rama Krishna Pathak, investigating officer of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CIB), said that the Chinese and Nepalis who were arrested on charges of gold smuggling have set up an international criminal organisation network and used cryptocurrency (USDT) and various 12 other digital wallets to pay for gold and conduct illegal transactions in foreign currency. 

The police have so far arrested Chinese nationals Akar Lama and Gyang and Nepali citizens Nurbu Chhiring Sherpa of Kathmandu, Pemba Tamang of Dolakha, Chasman Tamang of Dolakha, Keshar Tamang of Dolakha, Madhav Kumar Magar of Dolakha, Sanad Pradhan of Gulmi, Lal Bahadur Tamang of Sindhulpalchowk, Tilak BK of Baglung, Dipendra Raj Shakya of Lalitpur, Chetanath Neupane of Rasuwa, one unidentified person of Bigu-16 of Dolakha, Mahima Majhi of Ramechhap and Sunmala Tamang of Dolakha.