Kathmandu, March 20

Police have arrested four persons for allegedly using returnee Nepali migrant workers to smuggle gold via Tribhuvan International Airport. A total of 436 grams of gold and electronic gadgets were confiscated from their possession.

The suspects of the gold smuggling racket are Sandeep Patel of Bara, Sunil Raut of Chitwan, Manoj Rai of Khotang and Arpan KC of Makwanpur, who were involved in smuggling gold into Nepal from Gulf countries by using migrant works. Police said they were separately arrested from TIA premises yesterday.

According to police, Patel and Raut were held with 99 grams of undeclared gold each they collected for returnee migrant workers. Similarly, the cops arrested Rai with 99 grams of gold, two i-Phone sets, three laptops and a power bank. In yet another incident, KC was arrested in possession of 139 grams of gold and electronic gadgets. They have been handed over to the TIA Customs Office for legal action.

The gold seized from them were in the form of seven bracelets. An oversea returnee is allowed to carry gold up to 50 grams in the form of ornament. Racketeers have been misusing this provision to smuggle gold, police said.

According to police, racketeers generally pay a wage of around Rs 6,000 to each migrant worker for carrying home 50 grams of gold. In some cases, migrant workers are paid by the racketeers from the Gulf via wire after the consignment of gold is received by the concerned person in Nepal. According to a figure of the TIA, customs officials and police seize an average of two kilos of undeclared gold collected by racketeers from migrant workers in small consignments in a week.