INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, November 29
Police arrested two Chinese nationals with eight kilograms of undeclared gold from Tribhuvan International Airport
yesterday.
Those taken into police custody for gold smuggling have been identified as Chen Qinghuang (passport number EA5807598) and Chen
Zhaoyang (passport number EH6596637)
Central Police News Section said the Chinese men, who arrived here from Hong Kong on a Nepal Airlines flight, were found possessing the
undeclared gold during a security screening at a walk-through gate of the TIA customs
The eight gold bars seized from them weigh one kg each, and are worth around Rs 42.84 million as per today bullion price.
Officials said the
duo had been carrying four kilograms each
The Chinese nationals have been kept in the custody of Gaushala-based Metropolitan Police Circle for further investigation
Gold smugglers seem undeterred by frequent seizure of undeclared precious yellow metal at TIA.
Despite police action, racketeers continue
attempts to pass gold through the only international airport of the country
Police said racketeers were changing their modus operandi for gold smuggling through TIA
Concealing gold in rectum, battery boxes, laptops, baggage and inner soles of shoes are some of the ways adopted by smugglers
Smugglers also mould gold into jewellery and wear it to outsmart security and customs officials.
Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs had
claimed that cases of gold smuggling had gone down after the special probe panel formed to investigate the murder of Sanam Shakya on 2 March
2018, and disappearance of 33 kilograms of smuggled gold, filed charge-sheet against 75 persons
Of them, 46 were arrested and 34 of them are in jail.
After a brief lull, gold smugglers have again started cashing in on the poor security
system of TIA to supply precious yellow metal to Nepal
Some migrant workers returning Nepal have also been used as gold carriers
Deputy Inspector General of Police Bishwaraj Pokharel, Nepal Police spokesperson, said the security agency had stepped up action against
gold smugglers to bring them to book
According to statistics released by Nepal Police, it seized 108 kilograms of gold in fiscal 2018- 19, compared to 72 kilograms in the
previous fiscal.
Officials said they had not been able to completely control gold smuggling for want of hi-tech screening devices and
detectors along the borders and TIA
Most of the smuggled gold enters Nepal through TIA, and Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border points from Tibet of China.
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Chinese nationals held with eight kilo gold appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
