KATHMANDU, Aug 13: Police on Thursday arrested Iltaf Hussein Ansari on gold smuggling and counterfeit currency transaction charges.

Acting on a tip-off, a special police squad from the District Police Office, Bara, arrested Ansari from Nijgadh of Bara district.

Ansari has been arrested for his suspected involvement in the recent 15-kg yellow metal case in Kathmandu. On July 28, smugglers threw 15-kg yellow metal from a moving vehicle with registration number Ba 6 Cha 5511 in the Sundhara area in the capital. Later, it was found that only 500 gram of the metal was gold, while the remaining 14.5-kg was gold-plated silver.

Police investigation found that the vehicle used for gold smuggling belongs to Ansari.

Ansari, who hails from Bara, was sentenced to jail by the Lalitpur District Court in 2010 for his involvement in counterfeit Indian currency transactions in Nepal. The court has slapped Ansari with a jail term of three years and a fine of Rs 26.1 million for his involvement in counterfeit currency transactions. But after the decision of the court, Ansari was at large.

Later, police investigation found that Ansari had been working as an "informer" for authorities of both Nepal and India. He was working as a "double agent", according to police.

 
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