Kathmandu, June 25:

The Airport Security Police (ASP) today arrested two Nepalis at the Tribhuvan International Airport in possession of Indian currency notes of 1000 and 500 denominations, worth INR four million.

The INR 1000 and INR 500 notes are banned in Nepal.

Sources said that those arrested are Rajendra Pandey of Gulmi and Rohit Thapa of Sarlahi and that they had landed at the TIA from a Nepal Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia.

SSP Prakash Kunwar at the ASP, however, didn’t confirm the names of those arrested and declined to give names, because an ‘investigation was underway to arrest all members of the racket.’

“We conducted thorough check on every passenger of the Nepal Airlines and arrested the duo,” Kunwar said, adding: “The new INR 500 and INR 1000 denomination notes were concealed under the false bottoms of four suitcases.”

“We can’t say whether the currency is fake because they should be tested in the lab,” he said.

“The duo are learnt to have flown to Malaysia several times and that they had also visited Sri Lanka,” he added. According to him, the arrested persons are professional smugglers.