A large quantity of gold has been recovered from the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) hidden inside brake shoes used in scooters.
The Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) has recovered the gold during inspection of cargo outside the TIA Customs Office on Tuesday. A total of 160 pieces of gold have been recovered, according to the customs sources.
But the DRI has stated that the exact quantity of gold has yet to be ascertained and estimated that it could be anything from 80-100 kilograms. “It is estimated to be 80-100 kilograms considering other goods connected to that. Additional investigations continue,” DRI chief Nawa Raj Dhungana told Setopati.
The DRI recovered the gold after being tipped off about the new style of gold smuggling. The gold was brought hidden inside brake shoes used in scooters in a way that even the X-ray machine inside the TIA would not detect it.
The gold was brought on a Cathay Pacific flight coming from Hong Kong, according to Dhungana.
The gold has been sent to the Nepal Rastra Bank to determine the actual quantity.
