A meeting was held at the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday morning regarding the seizure of 100 kg of gold brought from Hong Kong after leaving the Tribhuvan International Airport.
Customs department employees were also called in the meeting. Details of the meeting were not given.
The revenue investigation department under the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Office seized the gold.
According to Navraj Adhikari, information officer of the department, six people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in gold smuggling.
Chief Political Advisor Haribol Gajurel said that the Prime Minister is also getting information about this matter.
The Customs Office of Tribhuvan International Airport is under the Ministry of Finance.
Both the Department and Customs, which seized the gold, do not come under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Repeated attempts by the BBC to contact the Minister of Finance and Home Affairs were unsuccessful.
Indications given by customs investigation
The Customs Department is conducting an internal investigation. Shobhakant Paudel, director general of the department, said, "Investigation is being conducted to determine whether there is something wrong with the system, whether it was not seen in the X-ray, or whether there is human involvement."
He says that they are seizing two to three kg of gold daily and it seems that gold smuggling is widespread.
He said, "If the X-ray machine shows gold and leaves it, the employee will be involved. We present ourselves ruthlessly.”
There is also the possibility that the X-ray equipment would not have detected the gold "if chemicals had been used," he said.
According to Ambika Prasad Khanal, Spokesperson and Chief Customs Officer of the Customs Office at Tribhuvan Airport, the CCTV camera footage and X-ray report have been studied till Thursday noon.
Giving information about the scene seen in the footage, he said, "The staff watching the X-ray machine put a tag indicating 'sensitive goods' on the packet and the inspection staff opened the carton and counted it. But how it was hidden inside, what was there, we are looking more."
What is the weight of recovered gold?
According to him, Ready Trade Pvt Ltd has brought 160 sets of bike 'brake shoes' in eight packets. Its weight was 145 kg.
Accordingly, on July 15, the goods reached the customs warehouse at the airport on Saturday, June 30, and were cleared by customs on Tuesday, July 2.
Soon after, the Revenue Investigation Department team arrested the suspected persons along with the taxi driver along with the gold.
So far, six people, including a customs agent and an Indian national, have been arrested.
Navraj Adhikari, Information Officer of the Revenue Research Department, said that the actual amount will be known after sending the Nepal National Bank to weigh the gold.
According to him, gold has been found hidden in 320 brake shoes.
There have been reports that the customs department has suspended some airport employees.
'Unstoppable Smuggling'
With the news of the recovery of a quintal of gold, social media users are questioning the government citing their various experiences.
Many people have a question with experience - how did a citizen get out of the customs of the airport, when he returned from abroad, a quintal of gold got out of the customs of the airport, when he saw gold nose studs and ear tops, and when he brought a mobile phone?
Although the quantity is less, gold has been recovered many times before.
Retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Hemant Malla believes that gold is being smuggled in larger volumes than what is seen.
He says, "As long as there is a gap between the demand for gold in India and its legal availability, the form and method may be different, the smuggling of gold through Nepal will not stop. Sometimes it comes by flying, sometimes it comes by walking, sometimes it comes by walking, that is another thing.
The challenge of finding an owner
According to officials, the found notification shows that goods have been transported 22 times before. Therefore, it is said that what was brought in the previous shipment will also be investigated.
Stating that the possibility of fraud cannot be ruled out, the former DIG thinks that if the same type of goods are coming continuously from Malla International Airport, it should be suspected and there may be collusion of the employees.
Malla says, "Similarly, we criticize Indian Airlines for bringing security personnel, but we, who want to change chairs and sofas, had to make the resources and manpower of the international airport according to the same standards."
Those involved in gold smuggling are arrested. It is believed that rich people invest in gold smuggling in large quantities. But they are not detected.
Navraj Adhikari, information officer of the department, says, "Investigation process is progressing to reach the real owner of the gold."
At least they think that such people will have political patronage.
He says, "Such people have invested in leaders, parties and even elections, so somehow they have political protection."
There are many who do not believe that research will attempt to reach that level, or that it will succeed.
