DOLAKHA: An investigation carried out by the police has unveiled a major gold smuggling operation, confirming that 33 kg of gold was illicitly brought into Nepal through the Lamabagar Falaak checkpoint in Dolakha on six separate occasions.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Deepak Khadka said this following the arrest of a gold smuggling gang.
The investigation disclosed that the gold was transported through the Lamabagar Falaak border, and the transactions were conducted using both dollars and cryptocurrency. Currently, twelve individuals involved in the smuggling operation remain at large and are actively being pursued by law enforcement.
Khadka stated that the revelations were based on statements provided by individuals involved in the gold smuggling and the findings of the police investigation.
The group of smugglers brought in a total of 33 kg of gold through the Falaak crossing of Lamabagar six different times.
Additionally, it was confirmed that the smugglers utilized crypto-currency and dollars for the financial transactions related to the gold purchases, excluding the use of Yarsagumba and musk.
The joint investigation by Dolakha Police and CIB officers further discovered that the gold smugglers transferred a staggering astounding amount of over Rs 2 trillion to Chinese counterparts using crypto-currency and digital wallets from Nepal.
Police Inspector Ram Krishna Pathak, appointed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CIB) to probe the gold smuggling case, disclosed that the payments associated with the illicit gold transactions were executed through crypto using 12 distinct digital wallets.
Authorities suspect that the funds transferred in this manner may be linked not only to gold smuggling but also to other illicit activities.
As the police delved into the investigation, it was uncovered that the gold smuggling ring employed a unique method—tying the gold to a rope and smuggling it across the river from the Falaak crossing of Lamabagar in Dolakha, a region bordering China’s Tibet.
Inspector Pathak revealed that post the illegal import of gold from Tibet to Nepal, where it was sold in Kathmandu, the proceeds in dollars were sealed and packaged.
These sealed packages were then affixed to ropes hanging from the planks of Lama Bagar and handed over to Chinese citizens.
Remarkably, the group paid a staggering amount of 760,000 US dollars by securing it to a rope.
Between November 2022 and October this year, the same group managed to smuggle 33 kg of gold on six occasions.
Dolakha Police Chief Khadka stated, “Twelve individuals remain at large. Upon their apprehension, additional charges may be levied against those involved in smuggling.”
During the investigation, the police recovered 11 kg of gold from Dolakha, part of the 33 kg smuggled through the Falaak crossing of Lamabagar, along with 532 grams of gold ornaments.
The estimated value of the seized gold amounts to a staggering Rs 10 crores.
Additionally, a sum of over Rs 18 lakhin cash was retrieved from the person involved in gold smuggling, with an additional Rs 31 lakh maintained in various banks under their names.
Dolakha Police arrested and investigated 15 individuals, including “Gang” and Akar Lama, the primary Chinese nationals implicated in the gold smuggling case.
While one of them was released on bail, the remaining 14 underwent detention and investigation for a span of approximately two months.
The collaborative efforts of the Dolakha Police and the CIB team culminated in the completion of the gold smuggling case investigation.
Subsequently, the findings were submitted to the District Public Prosecutor’s Office in Dolakha.
According to police sources, the suspects will face charges encompassing the integrated offenses of the Customs Act, 2064, Organized Crime Prevention Act, 2070, Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 2058, and Section 43 of the Criminal Code, 2074.
The investigation officer from the police highlighted that the search for the remaining 12 individuals involved in gold smuggling, who are currently absconding, is ongoing.
Additional charges will be filed against them once they are arrested.
CIB Police Inspector Pathak, engaged in the gold smuggling investigation, stated that the payment made through crypto, involving 12 digital wallets, represents one of the largest amounts recorded thus far.
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