Gold smuggling via Nepal up

KAVRE:

Smuggling gold into India from China via Araniko highway in Nepal is increasing. Within this year alone, five incidents of gold smuggling were reported.

Acting on a tip-off, police arrested Doji Wangmu, 30, a Tibetan woman and seized two kg gold hidden in her shoes, from Tatopani border point in Sindhupalchowk. DSP Arjun Khatri said that a case would be filed against Doji.

According to gold traders, a kg gold fetches Rs 33,30,000 in the Nepali market. APF at Tatopani had confiscated 17 kg gold from one Nepali and two Chinese nationals on December 4. The three arrestees were remanded to custody for further investigation in Sindhupalchowk.

Earlier, police had arrested a truck driver with 9 kg gold in Dhulikhel on January 18, 2013. The driver had told police he was paid Rs 60,000 to take the gold to Kathmandu. Three days later, police seized three kg gold from a Chinese national near Tatopani customs point.

This year alone, police have seized more than 40 kg gold from different places and have remanded around one dozen arrestees to custody.

The seized gold has been submitted to Central Revenue Office. After the submission of seized gold, Rastra Bank buys the gold at international price from the Revenue Office.

Sindhupalchowk and Kavre police have launched a special operation to curb gold smuggling. Kavre SP Arun BC said police had heightened vigilance.

Source: THT