KATHMANDU: In the perpetual cat-and-mouse game between law enforcement and criminals, the realm of gold smuggling at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) has taken a bizarre turn.
Criminals seem to be a step ahead, inventing increasingly audacious methods to outwit the authorities, making their illicit activities more challenging to curb.
Gold smuggling, a persistent issue at the TIA, has witnessed smugglers concealing the precious metal inside various objects, ranging from cigarettes to motorcycle parts.
Even unconventional methods, like spraying gold onto clothing, have been employed to deceive security measures.
The latest revelation, however, takes the clandestine operation to new and shocking levels.
Reports suggest that some smugglers have resorted to sending porters to the airport with gold concealed in a particularly intimate location – the anus.
Despite rigorous security measures, it has been discovered that even when detected by X-ray, the gold hidden in this manner managed to evade confiscation.
Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) finds itself under increasing scrutiny due to a surge in gold smuggling cases in Nepal.
Despite government assurances of stringent control over such activities, a series of significant scandals continues to surface.
The subsequent investigation, initially led by the department and later by the Central Investigation Bureau of the Police, has resulted in ongoing legal proceedings against more than 20 individuals, including foreign nationals, in the Kathmandu District Court.
In the past five days alone, a staggering 29.5 kilograms of gold have been seized from various locations in the Kathmandu Valley.
As November-December marks the wedding season, gold transactions become more prevalent, providing an opportune time for smugglers to exploit the heightened demand.
The incidents of gold smuggling have seen a notable uptick this November alone.
In a recent case on Saturday, December 10, authorities recovered 6.5 kilograms of gold at Tribhuvan International Airport.
The police arrested an Egyptian citizen arriving on Fly Dubai flight FZ 573, seizing 6 kilograms and 565 grams of gold on Saturday night.
The relentless battle between law enforcement and inventive smugglers continues, posing a persistent challenge at one of Nepal’s prominent airports.
On midnight of December 8, the Department of Customs confiscated 14 kilograms of gold at Tribhuvan International Airport, leading to the arrest of Chandra Ghale from Gorkha Barpak.
Ghale was arrested for concealing gold inside his jacket, specifically 7 pieces of 2.2 kilograms each shaped like biscuits.
Placed discreetly in an inner garment pocket, a total of 15.4 kilograms of gold was seized.
In response to this incident, a 6-member investigation committee, headed by Deputy Secretary Maniram Paudel of the Customs Office, has been established to probe the matter.
On Thursday, December 8, the police arrested three individuals with 2 kilograms of gold at Nagdhunga in Kathmandu.
Sunil Bhujel (21), Gyalching Tamang (28), and Bhiru Tamang (26) from Rasuwa were taken into custody along with a Chinese citizen as they were transporting gold in a jeep from Rasuwa to Kathmandu.
In a separate incident on December 6, 202320, the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office recovered around 7 kilograms of illegal gold from New Road in Kathmandu.
During a raid next to ‘Ompal Gold Shop Pvt Ltd,’ owned by Padam Pandey from Kailali and Nagarjuna, the police discovered the illegal gold, along with 4100 US dollars and 3.9 million Nepalese rupees.
Sangeet KC and Sunita Shrestha KC, residents of Balaju, Kathmandu, were arrested on December 5 at the arrival gate of Tribhuvan International Airport with approximately 186 grams of gold-like metal.
An intricately ‘sprayed’ letter with gold was found within the lining of his pants, which he had been wearing since his departure from Kuwait.
The police found two gold chains weighing about 95 grams, one ring, and two gold chains weighing 91 grams in Sunita’s bag, subsequently handing them over to the Tribhuvan Airport Customs Office.
Turning to November 21, Rasuwagadhi police arrested three individuals, Suresh Tamang, Nimatasi Tamang, and Nwang Lopchan, residents of Rasuwa, on charges of smuggling gold through the Rasuwagadhi checkpoint.
The police recovered gold rings weighing 12 tolas, amounting to a value of 13 lakh 88 thousand 400 rupees from the trio.
Gold Concealed in Electronic Cigarettes: Son of Maoist leader arrested
Half a decade ago, the entirety of Nepal, not just Tribhuvan International Airport, was rattled by a notorious smuggling incident involving a group of Chudamani smugglers led by Gore.
The main accused in this case was charged with smuggling 33 kilograms of gold.
Unfortunately, rather than abating, smuggling activities appear to be on the rise, with even the sons of prominent leaders now being implicated.
Last year, on 26 December, 2023, Chinese citizen Li Xansong, upon landing at the international airport, was apprehended with electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes).
Subsequent investigations unveiled a shocking revelation — the presence of gold concealed within the electronic cigarette devices.
The customs department opened the ‘cylinders’ of all seized cigarettes, exposing the hidden gold stash. The total weight of the concealed gold was determined to be 9 kilograms.
As the legal proceedings unfold in this case, Rahul Mahara, the son of Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara, has also found himself entangled in the investigation.
His connection to this smuggling case is currently under scrutiny in the court.
Gold Concealed in Unusual Ways!
Just two days preceding the discovery of gold concealed within cigarettes, a staggering 19 kilograms of gold were unearthed at the international airport on December 23, 2022.
The gold, ingeniously sprayed onto clothes, was transported by a Sudanese citizen disembarking from a Fly Dubai plane.
The apprehended individual, 39-year-old Mohammad Qasim, an Indian citizen, was found in possession of 429.820 grams of gold ‘sprayed’ onto clothing.
Qasim had arrived from Dubai to Kathmandu via a Nepal Airlines aircraft.
Notably, Qasim adopted a unique method of smuggling by ‘spraying’ the inner layer of a cardboard box.
The police intercepted and arrested him as he exited the airport.
Upon subjecting the suspect to an X-ray examination, law enforcement discovered two gold capsules concealed in his anus, containing a total of 250.850 grams of gold.
Similarly, on March 1, 2023, 41-year-old Faizan Anwar, an Indian citizen arriving in Kathmandu from Kuwait via Jazeera Air flight, disembarked at Tribhuvan International Airport.
Although a routine check of the inside of his pants revealed nothing suspicious, a unique discovery awaited the authorities.
An intricately ‘sprayed’ letter with gold was found within the lining of his pants, which he had been wearing since his departure from Kuwait.
A total of one kilogram and 200 grams of gold had been discreetly ‘sprayed’ within his pants and bag, highlighting the diverse and unconventional methods employed by smugglers in their illicit activities.
Indian National Arrested for Gold Smuggling: Uncovered Schemes at TIA
On February 7, 2023, Jayakumar Jagdish, a 39-year-old Indian citizen, found himself in custody for his involvement in smuggling gold through a rather unconventional method – ‘spraying’ it inside his clothes.
The arrest took place on the domestic flight side of Tribhuvan International Airport.
During routine screening using the X-ray machine, gold coins were discovered inside Jagdish’s hand baggage.
Further investigation revealed that he had concealed 510 grams of gold in his underwear.
This incident shed light on the persistent ingenuity of smugglers in attempting to bypass airport security measures.
Large-Scale Gold Seizures Prompt Investigations and Arrests
The battle against gold smuggling intensifies as larger quantities of the precious metal are seized at Tribhuvan International Airport.
On July 17, 2023, the Department of Revenue Investigation confiscated a staggering 60 kilograms and 689 grams of gold from the airport customs complex.
Remarkably, the gold was intercepted as it was being transported in a taxi after clearing customs.
In September this year, the police seized an additional 11 kilograms and 45 tolas of gold that were smuggled from Falek, the northern border of Dolakha.
The subsequent investigation, initially led by the department and later by the Central Investigation Bureau of the Police, has resulted in ongoing legal proceedings against more than 20 individuals, including foreign nationals, in the Kathmandu District Court.
Responding to the opposition CPN-UML’s demand, the government has formed a dedicated investigation committee to address the complex case.
On July 20, 2023, the Revenue Investigation Department made additional arrests, detaining three cargo company operators implicated in smuggling approximately 100 kilograms of gold.
Furthermore, on July 18, the Department intercepted 60.716 kilograms of gold destined for Sinamangal on a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong.
The gold, smuggled by a recently established company called Ready Trade, owned by Dilip Bhujel from Dolakha, was hidden in the brake shoes of motorcycles and scooters.
A taxi with the registration Ba 2 Ch 2324 was seized while attempting to transport the illicitly obtained gold out of the airport.
Chinese Group’s Involvement in Extensive Gold Smuggling Revealed
In a separate investigation, the police uncovered a significant gold smuggling operation orchestrated by a Chinese group.
It is alleged that they smuggled 33 kilograms of gold into Nepal through the Lamabagar area of Dolakha.
So far, the involvement of 26 individuals has been confirmed, with 15 arrests made.
The police have successfully recovered 11 and a half kilograms of gold out of the total smuggled amount.
In September this year, the police seized an additional 11 kilograms and 45 tolas of gold that were smuggled from Falek, the northern border of Dolakha.
The investigation disclosed that three kilograms of gold had been sold to a local gold shop, and the remaining 19 kilograms were reportedly sold to an Indian individual of Tibetan origin.
The intricate web of gold smuggling continues to pose challenges for law enforcement in Nepal.
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