National
Gold smuggling probe puts ex-DIG in net
Former Nepal Police DIG Govinda Prasad Niraula has been arrested for his alleged role in the 33 kg gold smuggling case, which is being probed for months.Former Nepal Police DIG Govinda Prasad Niraula has been arrested for his alleged role in the 33 kg gold smuggling case, which is being probed for months.
The Home Ministry had formed a special investigation team to identify members of the racket smuggling huge amounts of gold from the Tribhuvan International Airport. The team led by Ishowr Raj Poudel, joint-secretary at the ministry, is interrogating the suspects. Niraula, who retired from the police service recently, was detained after delivering his statement to the panel on Sunday.
The former deputy inspector general is in custody of the Baneshwor Police Circle. For further investigation, he will be sent to Biratnagar, where one helper of smugglers was brutally killed by their gang.
Over two dozen people have been arrested in connection with the smuggling case. The case came to the fore after Sanam Sakay was killed by the smugglers’ gang in Biratnagar. The investigative team was formed to find out the modus operandi of gold smuggling and the network. SSP Diwas Lohani, DSP Prajit KC and a junior ranking police official were summoned to the police headquarters after the case was exposed.
Nepal Police claims to be searching for 21 people in connection with gold smuggling. Police have frozen the property of 31 individuals allegedly involved in smuggling the precious metal.
An Indian national was arrested from the TIA with 2 kg liquid gold in a fresh smuggling case.