CIB prepares to submit 61 kg gold smuggling case report to public prosecutor's office today

Published On: September 13, 2023 10:45 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, Sept 13: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police is poised to deliver its investigative report on the high-profile gold smuggling case involving nearly 61 kilograms of gold to the District Government Attorney’s Office on Wednesday.

Chief of the CIB, Additional Inspector General of Police Kiran Bajracharya, said that as the report's writing was concluded on Tuesday evening, it is now prepared for submission today.

Furthermore, the CIB is in the process of formulating charges related to organized crime, gold theft, and offenses under the Nepal Rastra Bank Act against the individuals implicated in the case.

Those implicated in the case have been remanded into custody for an alleged organized crime, which has an investigation deadline of 60 days. As September 17 marks the completion of this 60-day timeframe, it is imperative that the case is presented to court by that date.

To date, the law enforcement agency has arrested 31 individuals in connection with the gold smuggling case, with 30 individuals currently in police custody. Among the apprehended individuals are Nepali, Indian, and Chinese nationals, as well as customs office employees.

Furthermore, it has come to light that some Chinese citizens have obtained Nepali citizenship certificates, indicating a complex web of collusion involving customs officials in the smuggling operation. In light of this, recent arrests were made, including customs officer Pushpa Joshi, along with non-gazetted second-class officers Kamal Pariyar and Birendra Nepali.

The gold, concealed in brake shoes, was seized on July 19 during an operation by the Department of Revenue Investigation, after having been initially cleared through customs. Following 18 days of investigation by the department, the CIB took charge of the case. The total gold content, previously estimated at 155 kilograms, has since been determined to be 60.716 kilograms of pure gold, now securely held by the Nepal Rastra Bank.