KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 13
Police arrested a Chinese national from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu today for smuggling nearly five kilograms of pure gold modified in the form of semi-gold.
The arrested has been identified as Zhang Li, 36, of Fujiyan Province of China.
He had travelled to Nepal from Dubai via Himalaya Airlines flight yesterday.
Acting on a tip-off, Li was arrested in a joint operation launched by Airport Security Force of Nepal Police and Metropolitan Police Crime Division. Police were able to arrest Li at the 'Welcome gate' after he was cleared by airport customs.
"We arrested the accused smuggler from the exit gate upon verification of correct information provided by the source. But, we had to go through detailed chemical process to identify if the confiscated material was gold," said Bhim Prasad Dhakal, head of airport security.
Dhakal said the confiscated semi-solid yellow metal contained 98.6 per cent pure gold.
"But, it is not sure how the gold was turned into semi-solid form that couldn't be detected by the metal detector in the airport," Dhakal said.
The smuggler had hidden semi-solid gold inside three false belts that were artificially created inside his undergarments.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 14, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
