KATHMANDU: Yao Pucheng alias Alex, a Chinese national apprehended in connection with a gold smuggling case, has admitted to obtaining a Nepali passport while in India by paying a substantial sum of 250 thousand Indian rupees.
Pucheng, 36 years old, was arrested on September 20, 2019, at the Delhi airport in India, where he was found in possession of 4 kilograms and 98 grams of gold.
Despite being released on bail after depositing 500 thousand Indian rupees, he had not received his passport back.
Subsequent to his arrest, another individual identified as Lee Wen Sung, alias Ali, who is currently in Nepal, made a startling revelation, stating, “I have also acquired Nepali citizenship and a passport, and I paid 10,000 RMB for it.”
Pucheng disclosed that he obtained Nepali citizenship with the assistance of another Chinese individual whom Lee Wen Sung had encountered.
In his statement, Pucheng further revealed that Lee Wen Sung had also been implicated in a case related to the seizure of 83.53 kilograms of gold by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in India in 2021, during a molten metal operation. Lee Wen Sung had been arrested in connection with that case but was subsequently released.
Remarkably, Pucheng noted that he did not have to physically travel to Nepal to acquire his Nepali passport; instead, he secured it while in India, by simply paying the required amount.
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