The suspect has been identified as Rijan Wangda Lama, a resident of Chhekampar VDC-8. Lama, who was arrested from Kathmandu on Wednesday, was brought to Gorkha for investigation. District Forest Office has started to record his statement.  

A joint team of the Central Investigation Bureau and District Police Office, Gorkha had seized 46 sacks of wool of the Tibetan antelope, locally known as chiru, weighing 1,181 kg from two houses in Thumi VDC-6 in the district two years ago. It was estimated then that the seized wool costs about Rs 3.75 billion.

Police said during interrogation Lama admitted his involvement in the smuggling of the precious wool. District Forest Officer Jivannath Poudel said that Lama admitted his role as porter to transport the wool to Malekhu from Chhekampar.

“Some Tibetan people had asked him to supply the wool at the rate of Rs 500 per kg by telling him that the consignment was sheep’s wool,” Poudel quoted Lama as saying.

He said Dorje Khampa and Sonam Khampa brought the wool using horses and yaks from Tibet. They had planned to smuggle the wool to India through Malekhu. The security personnel also seized some sacks wool of chiru from Malekhu soon after the raid in Thumi.