Two more Chinese nationals arrested in Nepal gold smuggling case

Kathmandu (IANS). Nepal Police on Friday arrested two more Chinese nationals from Kathmandu airport while they were waiting to board a flight to Beijing in connection with large-scale gold smuggling.

Last month, the police had seized one quintal of gold smuggled from Hong Kong and arrested some Chinese and Nepali nationals in this connection.

According to the Nepal Police, the final destination of the smuggled gold was probably India.

The two Chinese nationals arrested on Friday were identified as Li Jialin and Li Fuyan.

Both were on the blacklist of the Revenue Intelligence Department for their alleged involvement in the gold smuggling case.

There is a huge debate in the Parliament of Nepal regarding the investigation of the case and the main opposition party CPN-UML is obstructing the proceedings of the regular house on this issue.

The CPN-UML is demanding a high-level inquiry into the matter. The government has been criticized for not launching an investigation into organized crime after it was revealed that the smuggling was organized and involved nationals of several countries.

Initially, the Revenue Investigation Department was probing the matter, but after heavy pressure from various quarters, the government has now handed over the responsibility to the Central Bureau of Investigation, a special branch of the Nepal Police that investigates organized crime. does.

According to the Nepal Police, both the Chinese nationals have been handed over to the bureau for further questioning.

The Revenue Investigation Department had seized a huge amount of gold from Sinamangal in Kathmandu on July 18. The Customs at the airport had failed to trace the consignment.

The department sent the gold hidden in the brake shoe of the motorcycle and the box of the electric shaver to Nepal Rastra Bank, its total weight was found to be 155 kg.

A total of 18 people have been arrested in this case so far.