KATHMANDU: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has arrested CPN (Maoist Centre) Vice-Chair Krishna Bahadur Mahara in connection with a three-year-old gold smuggling case involving 9 kilograms of gold hidden in vapes.
SSP Shiv Kumar Shrestha, spokesperson for the CIB, said Mahara was taken into custody to present the case file in court.
Initially, the CIB had called Mahara to appear at their office. When he did not respond, a CIB team went to his residence to take him into custody.
“A call was made requesting his presence at the office. When he did not appear, the CIB team came to his house and took him into custody. He is currently in CIB custody,” said a family member.
Under the Customs Act, 2064, and charges related to organized crime, the 68-year-old former Speaker was arrested from his residence in Khumaltar, Lalitpur.
The case involves Chinese citizen Li Hang Song (passport no. EJ 6350030), who arrived in Nepal via Fly Dubai flight FZ0587 on 10 Poush 2079 BS and attempted to smuggle 730 electronic cigarettes (vapes) containing gold through Tribhuvan International Airport. The vapes were seized and stored at the Customs office, where preliminary investigations revealed that Deputy Subba Rewant Khadka and others had allegedly formed an organized crime group to sell the gold concealed in the vapes for illicit profit.
The value of the smuggled gold has been estimated at Rs. 85,528,374.
According to the Nepal Police, Mahara is currently in custody while further investigation is underway. The CIB is conducting the investigation in collaboration with the Customs Department and other relevant agencies.
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