KATHMANDU: Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal (JSP-N) Chief Whip and former Minister Dr. Birendra Prasad Mahato has raised concerns over the recent seizure of foreign currency worth Rs 251.9 million from a truck in Kathmandu.
Speaking at a House of Representatives meeting on Wednesday, Mahato questioned whether the arrest of the truck driver with such a large sum of foreign currency was a coincidence or an indication of an ongoing smuggling operation.
He pointed out the inconsistency between the stringent regulations for ordinary citizens exchanging foreign currency and the ease with which such a large amount was being transported.
“There is a practice of stamping passports even when ordinary citizens exchange just USD 2,500. How did such a huge sum of foreign currency bypass banking channels and scrutiny? This matter needs to be thoroughly investigated,” Mahato said.
He also raised suspicions about the possible involvement of Nepal’s banking system in the smuggling operation and demanded that the Home Ministry investigate how the currency was obtained, whether it was genuine, and which institutions might have been involved.
“The truth about the origin of such a large amount of money needs to come out. Was the seized currency released by any bank in Nepal, or is it fake? Who are the people involved behind the scenes?” he questioned.
The Valley Crime Investigation Office of Nepal Police had seized the currency—comprising euros and US dollars—from a truck being transported from Jhor, Kathmandu to China on Monday midnight. The police arrested 43-year-old Kushang Lama, also known as Fuchche, who claimed he was merely a porter hired by two unidentified individuals.
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