The three men caught with 10kg gold in Gorkha district on Saturday have told police that they were hired as carriers by a Chinese trader in Jong, Tibet, to deliver the consignment to Kathmandu.

Tsering Dandup Lama aka Mutuk Lama and Lochan Tenwe were arrested with the gold haul worth nearly Rs50 million from Sirdibas area in Gorkha.

The District Police Office presented the duo before the press on Monday.

Superintendent of Police Bimal Basnet said the two men admitted to trafficking the gold across Nepal-China border at the instruction of the Chinese trader in Jong, Tibet, whose identity is unknown.

“These men had admittedly received Rs50,000 from the Chinese trader to take the gold to Kathmandu,” SP Basent said. The Chinese trader had apparently saved the contact numbers of Lama and Tenwe, and instructed them to wait for a call once they have reached Kathmandu.

Some traders in Kathmandu, whose identities are unknown, were reportedly supposed to collect the contraband gold.

According to SP Basnet, the gold carriers had allegedly tried to bribe police after they were caught.

“They had offered half of the gold to the police team that captured them. Later, they tried to surrender the entire gold haul for their freedom,” claimed SP Basnet.

He added that police have heightened surveillance along the northern region of the district to check contraband trafficking from Tibet.