KATHMANDU: Police have arrested three persons with illegal firearm and bullets from a hotel in Naya Buspark of Kathmandu district on Sunday.

The arrestees have been identified as Sabin Khawas (26) of Garamuni Rural Municipality-7 in Jhapa, currently residing in Tokha, Kathmandu, Ram Kumar Rai (37) and Pritam Rai (27), both from Likhu Rural Municipality-4 in Nuwakot district.

Acting on a tip-off that a group was preparing for gold theft, a joint team of police from Metropolitan Police Office and Metropolitan Crime Division raided Nepal Tara Guest House in Gongabu, Naya Buspark, arrested the trio, and seized an Italy-made Petro Barata Automatic Pistol with and five rounds of bullets branded with Wcc 0.8.

Khawas, after being released from prison for a prior felony, planned a gold heist and called Pritam and Ram Kumar to Kathmandu with weapons for the crime, stated police while adding that the firearms were brought by Ram Kumar from Nuwakot and handed over to Pritam for safekeeping.

After the three met at Tokha in Kathmandu Metropolitan City at around 11:00 am on Sunday, they went to a cafe at Chakrapath and made further plans for the heist at around 2:00 pm the same day, police added.

According to police, the arrested trio have prior criminal records. Khawas was arrested for armed kidnapping on March 2, 2017 and was later released on November 20, 2018 from Dillibazaar Prison.

Meanwhile, Pritam Rai was arrested for attempted murder on December 8, 2018 and Ram Kumar Rai for a public offence in Nuwakot district. Both of them were later released.

The arrestees have been held in Metropolitan Crime Division, Teku for further investigation.