Police seized 17kg smuggled gold from the Rasuwagadhi border point, the only trade route currently in operation between Nepal and China, in Rasuwa on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team deployed from the District Police Office (DPO) seized the precious yellow metal from a Bolero jeep (Ba 11 Cha 7918). According to Sharad Kumar Thapa, chief at the DPO, the four-wheeler had gone to Tibet from Nepal a few days ago to transport goods. The gold was hidden under napkin and toilet paper.

“We received information that a jeep was smuggling gold from Tibet. The yellow metal was confiscated during a security check. We are checking other vehicles as well,” he added.

Security personnel impounded the jeep and arrested its driver Dawa Tamang, 31, of Parbatikunda Rural Municipality-5 in Rasuwa for investigation. A detailed probe is underway, said police.

Sources said that smugglers have been using the Kerung-Rasuwagadhi route to smuggle the precious metal since it came into operation in November, 2015. Police seized at different times 163 kg gold smuggled via the Rasuwagadhi border within the past two years.

On September 4, police confiscated 88kg gold from Chhetrapati in the Capital. Authorities claimed that the gold was smuggled from the northern border point too.

Rasuwa police have arrested nine suspects so far. The security source said most of those arrested were just porters. One has to cross 12 security check posts of Nepal Army, Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force from Rasuwagadhi to Betrawati. Officials, however, complained that the lack of modern equipment like vehicle X-ray machine and metal detector leaves them unable to check gold smuggling.