KATHMANDU, Aug 30: Nepal Police has sent Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dinesh Acharya to Hong Kong to collect more evidence about gold smuggling. It is believed that SSP Acharya will coordinate with the Hong Kong Police to gather the necessary evidence.
Nepal Police has sent SSP Acharya of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) to seek the assistance of Hong Kong Police in the investigation related to 60 kg of smuggled gold seized by the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) on July 19. "SSP Dinesh Acharya has been sent to Hong Kong to gather evidence pertaining to the gold smuggling case," said Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Kuber Kadayat, central spokesperson for Nepal Police.
Of late, the police have been coordinating with the Hong Kong police to collect more evidence after finding the involvement of Chinese nationals in smuggling gold through Hong Kong to Nepal. The CIB reached out to the National Central Bureau (NCB) Beijing through Interpol's NCB Kathmandu to assist in the investigation of the gold smuggling case. According to CIB sources, SSP Acharya has gone there to coordinate with the Hong Kong sub-bureau under NCB Beijing.
Earlier, high-ranking police officials went to Dubai and investigated the 33.5 kilos of gold seized on January 5, 2017. At that time, leader Hari Sharan Khadka and others of the gang that had sent gold to Nepal from Dubai were identified and prosecuted. Khadka was later arrested with the help of Interpol and brought to Nepal. Some of the accused in the 33.5 kg gold case appeared in court and were released on bail.
Hong Kong, the Pearl of the Orient, will shine again
Even now Nepal Police has followed the same method and sent SSP Acharya to Hong Kong. Inspector General of Police Basanta Kunwar sent him with the approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs. SSP Acharya went there on Tuesday. "It was seen that some information needs to be collected, that's why SSP Dinesh Acharya has been sent to Hong Kong," said Nepal Police Spokesperson Kadayat.
Since August 4, the CIB of Nepal Police has been investigating the case of smuggling 60 kg of gold under international and organized crime. A Nepali cargo businessman and a Chinese national who are said to be involved in smuggling have been arrested. Although the CIB conducted raids at various locations in Kathmandu and collected evidence during the investigation, it is also coordinating with the Indian police regarding the smuggling of gold sent to India via Nepal.
Nepal Police suspect that some Nepali businessmen and individuals in Hong Kong are smuggling gold by establishing offices there. Chinese nationals Jiquan Lin, Yao Pucheng and Li Wen Sung, who were arrested by the DRI in the gold smuggling case, were detained by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in September 2019.
At that time, Yao Pucheng had an Indian citizenship certificate, while the other two had Nepali citizenship certificates and a passport.
Probe into Belgian Tsering's Nepalis citizenship
Meanwhile, an investigation has been started regarding the acquisition of Nepalis citizenship by Dawa Tsering, a Belgian citizen involved in gold smuggling. The Ministry of Home Affairs has started an investigation under the coordination of Under Secretary Krishna Katuwal.
It has been revealed that Tsering took his Nepali citizenship certificate from the District Administration Office, Kavreplnchowk, on January 4, 2018. Certificates of Nepali citizenship have also been found with the four Chinese who were arrested in the gold smuggling case of 60.716 kg.
According to CIB sources, three of them obtained citizenship from Kavre and one from District Administration Office, Kathmandu.
The officials of CIB said that Nepali citizenship number 30-01-74-11865 was found with Tsering.
