Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) Customs Office has formed an investigation committee to probe into the 14 kilograms of gold seized at the airport on Thursday night.
A six-member probe panel has been formed under the coordination of Chief Customs Officer Maniram Paudel. The team has been entrusted with the responsibility to investigate the case and submit the report in the next five days.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Surya Prakash Subedi, Customs Officers Prakash Niraula, Dillu Prasad Sharma and Lokraj Dhungana and Section Officer Manju Thapa are members in the probe committee.
Acting on a tip-off, the TIA Customs Office seized 14 kilograms of gold in possession of Chandra Ghale of Gorkha after he landed at the airport last night.
Ghale with Nepali Passport (PA 0145488) landed at the TIA on the flight of FlyDubai FZ573 at 11:40 pm.
The Customs Office said they seized seven biscuits of gold, each weighing 2 kilograms, which were concealed inside Ghale’s waistcoat during security check.
Meanwhile, the police have also arrested Min Bahadur Ghale of Gorkha based on Chandra’s statement that Min told him to bring the gold, said the Customs Office.
The gold has been sent to the Mint Division for its quality testing, said Chief Customs Administrator Dr Tokraj Pandey.
A record at the Department of Immigration shows that Chandra has been to Dubai for five times this year.
This is the fifth time Chandra went to Dubai. He went to Dubai on December 4 and was arrested with 14 kilograms of gold at the TIA when he returned on December 7.
According to a high-level source at the Nepal Police, Chandra on February 7 had gone to Dubai and returned to Nepal on February 10 for the first time.
After three months, on May 10, he went to Dubai for the second time and returned home on May 13. He had returned within three days this time, too, according to the record.
