Police trying to trace owners of seized Rs. 251 million

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 22: Kushang Lama, aka, Fuchhe, who was held with foreign currency worth over 251 million, is currently under investigation. Police and the Department of Revenue Investigation are investing to trace the owner of the money seized on Monday.  

The ownership of Euro 1,375,150 and USD 320,850 has become a matter of public curiosity, sparking discussions on social media as to whose money it could be. However, as of now, the owner of the money remains unknown. Even Lama, who was carrying the money, has not revealed any details about it.

According to the police, Lama, the driver of the truck, was used as a 'carrier.' However, the police do not consider him an ordinary carrier.

Superintendent of Police (SP) and Spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, Teku, Kaji Kumar Acharya said that Lama had previously served a jail sentence of five years for gold smuggling, suggesting that he is a well-informed and professional carrier.

"Kushang is capable of deceiving even the police, so we are remaining cautious," said SP Acharya. 

"What he has said so far is not entirely believable. A serious investigation is necessary. We are conducting all required technical investigations," he added.

In his statement, Lama claimed that someone had left the money for him in Samakhusi, but the source and owner of the money are still unknown. 

"If we knew the owner, the investigation would be much easier. But this man (Fuchche) is a professional. He spent five years in prison, where he must have interacted with hundreds of criminals," an investigator commented. 

"He knows exactly what to say and what not to. That is why we cannot trust him. There has been no breakthrough in identifying the real owner of the foreign cash."

Lama has also told the police that he does not recognise the person who placed the money in his truck. He just said that he had left his truck in Samakhusi for a few days. SP Acharya further said that authorities are investigating the potential sources and intended recipients of the money.

According to the preliminary investigation, Lama would drive the truck to the Rasuwa border point from where local individuals or visa holders from Rasuwa would drive it across the border to Kerung, China, to facilitate gold smuggling. However, he was held from Tokha before he reached the destination. 

Despite Lama's arrest, no other suspects have been detained so far.

"After his arrest, he received several phone calls. By analysing the call records, we may uncover more details in the coming days. However, Lama had not saved any contact numbers on his phone," said an officer involved in the investigation.

Following the Foreign Exchange (Regulation) Act, 2019, the police have handed Lama over to the Department of Revenue Investigation for further inquiry.

The department has already begun the investigation, and officers from both the police and revenue department have been documenting every serial number of the seized dollars and euros for the past two days.

This process is expected to take a few more days, according to SP Acharya.

"The process of recording the serial numbers of all the seized foreign currency notes is ongoing. This work started right after the press conference and may take a few more days to complete," Acharya said.

The Crime Investigation Office team arrested Lama on Monday night from Jhor, Tokha Municipality. Based on special intelligence, he was caught while heading toward Rasuwagadhi. 

The money was found hidden inside a false-bottom compartment in the container, while the back of the truck appeared empty.