The Central Investigation Bureau is likely to take up the case of a senior captain of Nepal Airlines who was arrested with undeclared $93,600 from Tribhuvan International Airport with on Sunday night. Captain Subarna Awale, who was set to fly an NAC aircraft to Dubai, was caught with undeclared dollar bills during a routine check. 

A team from CIB visited the Department of Revenue Investigation on Tuesday and talked to officials regarding the case.  “We just wanted to know the case. There are chances that the department will send the case to us after they complete their investigation,” said Superintendent of Police Mira Chaudhary. “But no official decision has been made in this regard yet.”

The CIB expressed its interest in the case after the preliminary investigation by police suggested that the dollar bills could be a payment for gold smuggled into Nepal.

On January 5, the CIB had seized 33kg gold, which had passed undetected through the TIA customs. The bureau also arrested SSP Shyam Khatri, who was in charge of the airport security—in connection with the smuggling. It has already filed a case at the Kathmandu District Court. 

On Tuesday, Captain Awale recorded his statement before the DoRI officials. “Our investigation will be over in the next few days,” said Director General of the DoRI Ram Krishna Subedi.

As te seized $93,600 amounts to around Rs9.6 million, Awale might escape a jail term of three years as mentioned in the Foreign Exchange (Regulation) Act-1962. The act states that “if the amount in question involved in the offence relating to the foreign exchange is Rs10 million or more, the person concerned shall be liable to an additional punishment of imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years in addition to the punishment imposable on such a person.”

In his statement to police and DRI officials, Awale has claimed that the undeclared dollars were “meant for his daughter who lives abroad” and has denied any wrongdoing.

Few cabin crew members have been arrested for abetting smugglers till date. NAC pilot KK Shrestha was sacked some 25 years ago after he was found smuggling gold ornaments into Nepal.

NAC Spokesperson Rabindra Shrestha said they had not taken any decision regarding suspension of Awale as investigations are underway.  

Senior Superintendent of Police Prem Chand of TIA security said they have heightened security checks of crew members following the arrest of the NAC captain.