The Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) has arrested three more people in connection with the recent gold smuggling scam.
According to a source at the DRI, Krishna Shrestha and Pushkar Raj Bhatta were arrested on Thursday evening on the charge of smuggling the gold from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
Bhatta is the promoter of Global Pvt Ltd. According to the source, the DRI had called him to the TIA Customs Office. He was arrested after investigation showed his involvement in the smuggling.
Meanwhile, Shrestha was arrested from Koteshwar.
The DRI also arrested one Rajan Shrestha, proprietor of a company, on Thursday evening.
The number of arrests in the case has now reached 10.
Earlier on Thursday, the Patan High Court remanded six others arrested in the case to custody for 10 days. The six accused are taxi driver Ashok Lama, customs agent Rajendra Kumar Rai, Ready Trade Pvt Ltd promoter Dilip Bhujel, Harka Raj Rai, Indian national Thapten Tsering and Ram Kumar Bhujel.
A Chinese national, Lin Zeqiang, has also been arrested in connection with the gold smuggling scam. He was arrested from the TIA on Wednesday when he was about to fly to China. Investigation so far has shown Lin to be the main man behind the gold smuggling.
The DRI recovered a huge quantity of gold during inspection of cargo outside the TIA Customs Office on Tuesday. A total of 160 pieces of gold were recovered, according to 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,” 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.
