KATHMANDU: The Customs Department has launched an investigation into the recovery of gold worth over one billion rupees, which managed to pass through inspection at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) Customs.
Shobhakanta Paudel, the Director General of the Department, announced that appropriate measures are being taken to suspend all staffers at the TIA customs.
“A decision will be reached shortly. We have intensified our internal investigation,” stated Director General Paudel. “Everyone found to be implicated in the investigation will face suspension.”
The Department’s investigation aims to ascertain whether the gold’s passage through customs was orchestrated or if the smugglers exploited technical vulnerabilities.
According to reliable sources at Tribhuvan International Airport, the confiscated gold arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday through a Cathay Pacific flight.
A substantial quantity of gold was seized during an operation conducted by the Revenue Investigation Department, which acted on a tip-off that the gold had been concealed inside the brake shoes of motorcycles and scooters, ultimately passing the customs check at 2 pm on Wednesday.
As of now, six individuals, including an Indian citizen, have been arrested in connection with this case.
The exact amount of the recovered gold is yet to be determined, and the Department has confirmed that the seized gold will be handed over to the Nepal Rastra Bank today.
Meanwhile, the Customs Department has formed an inquiry committee to probe into the issue.
Punya Bikram Khadka, Director and Information Officer of the Department, stated that the committee was formed under the leadership of Man Bahadur Paudel, the Director of the Investigation Branch of the Department.
Comment