KATHMANDU, April 2: The Department of Revenue Investigation (DRi) has identified the owner of the Rs 250 million worth of dollars and euros found in a truck in Tokha, Kathmandu two weeks ago.
According to the Director General of the DRI Chandri Prasad Ghimire, the money belongs to Narayan Paudel, a resident of Tokha Municipality-10, who is originally from Bhote Koshi Rural Municipality-4 in Sindhupalchok.
On the night of March 17, police apprehended 43-year-old Kusan Lama from Sindhupalchok, who was found hiding the money in a truck with registration number (NA 7 Kha 1652). Lama, a resident of Bhote Koshi Rural Municipality-1, had concealed the money behind the driver's seat by creating a false bottom.
Through intelligence and expert investigations, the DRI has uncovered the identity of the suspected individual. DG Ghimire said that investigation revealed that Paudel had provided the money.
According to Ghimire, the court order has already been issued an arrest warrant for Paudel and a team of DRI officials has already raided the local residence of Paudel in Tokha.
According to sources in the DRI, police found unusual transactions in the bank account of the driver, Lama, and traced the last contact with Paudel through Call Detail Record (CDR) analysis of his mobile phone.
The investigation was advanced by analyzing the suspect’s mobile phone CDR, CCTV footage, and digital devices. The source said that police helped in the investigation by conducting searches at various locations, including his residence, business premises, and warehouses. During these searches, multiple items have been recovered.
The truck has also been traced to various locations, including garages, parking lots, and warehouses, where searches were carried out by the police.