According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Krishna Mahat of CIB, the two held for being involved in the illegal trade are Prem Bahadur Katuwal, 29, from Salleri VDC-4 of Dailekh district and Govinda Bahadur Chanda, 29, from Punma VDC-7 of Jajarkot district.[break] The two were nabbed while they had arrived in the market with an intention to sell the statue, police said.
“The two had hoped to sell the statue for Rs 2 to 3 million. But we think the statue might be worth more than Rs 5 million,” DSP Mahat said. The police said they believed the statue was more than 100 years old but that it has to be verified by the Archeological Department. The statue will be brought to Kathmandu for further investigation, according to the police.
According to the preliminary investigation the two seems to be coming from hardcore smugglers but that is yet to be verified, DSP Mahat said.
After they were arrested, they first tried to conceal their identities but later they accepted the wrongdoing. The police are still working to find out if there are others involved, he added.
If the statue is proven to be stolen from some other place, the case will be registered from that place. Otherwise, the case will be registered from the place of seizure, according to CIB.
The arrested have been handed over to Banke Police for further investigation. If found guilty, they could face five years in jail as per the Ancient Monument Preservation Act 2013 BS, police said.
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