Kathmandu, September 27

The Metropolitan Police Crime Division today raided a guest house in Gongabu and arrested two persons for illegal possession of gold.

The arrested have been identified as Kul Prasad Ishal, 64, of Kapilvastu and Lilraj Sapkota, 29, of Rupendehi. Acting on a tip-off, the MPCD made the arrests and seized 758 grams of gold worth around three million rupees.

The arrestees did not have invoice for the gold and police suspect the precious yellow metal might have been smuggled into the capital from elsewhere. “We have launched an investigation to ascertain the source of the gold and its recipient,” a senior police official informed.

Smuggling of gold into Nepal from China via Tatopani border of Sindhupalchowk and Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) is on the rise lately. The government imposes a customs duty of Rs 5,200 per 10 grams of gold while selling it to the jewellers through commercial banks.

On August 20, police arrested Anil Tamang of Swayambhu, Kathmandu, with gold worth Rs 1.2 million from the TIA. He had flown to Kathmandu on a Dragon Air flight from Hong Kong. Police sent him to custody on suspicion of gold smuggling. Tamang was given laxative and made to excrete seven pieces of gold weighing 287 grams.

The law enforcement agency held Ram Niwas Verma, 57, an Indian citizen in illegal possession of four kg gold from the TIA on July 17. He had arrived in Kathmandu via Sharjah on an Air Arabia flight, and was trying to evade the customs in the morning when officials detained him. He had concealed hallmark gold in his undergarment. Police confiscated four gold bars — one kg each — from Verma.

According to statistics maintained by police,66.57 kg undeclared gold was seized in 2013-14 and more than 80 kg in 2014-15. Similarly, around 16 kg gold has been confiscated from smugglers so far this fiscal year.