The Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) on Sunday decided to hand over the custody of the accused and the evidence related to the gold smuggling case to the police for further investigation.
In the recent gold smuggling case, the individuals accused and held in custody by the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) have now been handed over to the Central Investigation Bureau of the Nepal Police.
Along with the suspects, the DRI has also transferred all the evidence collected during their investigation to the CIB. The decision to involve the police was made by DRI Director General Nawaraj Dhungana, who emphasized the need for a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
The incident occurred on July 18 when the DRI seized a substantial amount of gold from Sinamangal, Kathmandu. The gold had managed to pass through airport customs without detection. The department acted swiftly and sent the seized gold, which was hidden in cartons of motorcycle brake shoes and electric shavers, to the Nepal Rastra Bank. The total weight of the gold was found to be 155kg.
As part of their ongoing efforts, the DRI has arrested 18 individuals linked to this latest gold seizure. They have also conducted raids in different locations. A factory in Tokha, Kathmandu, suspected to be used by smugglers for melting gold, was raided. Additionally, they searched the warehouse of Ready Trade, a private firm in Sorhakhutte, Kathmandu, where they seized 66 boxes of motorcycle brake shoes. Some of the brake shoes were found to be lighter than expected, raising suspicions that the gold may have already been extracted from them.
In the pursuit of identifying the actual owners of the seized gold, the DRI also raided the house of Rakesh Kumar Adukia, one of the prime suspects in the smuggling case.
The handover to the Nepal Police's Central Investigation Bureau marks a crucial step in the investigation, and authorities are determined to get to the bottom of this intricate gold smuggling operation.
