The Department of Revenue Investigation has arrested six more people in connection with the latest gold smuggling case.

According to the department, three airport customs employees, including one customs officer, and three customs agents were arrested on Sunday.

The department arrested airport customs officer Santosh Chand, checker Kumar Dhakal, a non-gazetted second-class officer, and x-ray technician Saroj Shrestha on the charge of clearing the smuggled gold through the Tribhuvan International Airport customs.

The department on Thursday suspended Chand, Dhakal and Shrestha following an investigation.

Similarly, customs agents Rukmila Subba of Gauradaha in Jhapa district, Sudarshan Gautam of Meghauli, Chitwan and Yadav Parajuli of Balefi in Sindhupalchok district were also arrested.

On July 18, the department arrested two individuals with about one quintal of gold that had passed undetected through the TIA customs. On July 19 and 20, eight people, including one Indian and one Chinese national, were arrested in connection with the case.

So far, 16 people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the smuggling of gold.

Senior Superintendent Rajendra Khadka, the spokesperson of the Armed Police Force, informed that customs agent Rajendra Rai, taxi driver Ashok Lama, proprietor of Ready Trade Dilip Bhujel and his uncle Ram Kumar Bhujel, Harka Raj Rai, Rajan Shrestha, Krishna Shrestha, Pushkar Raj Bhatta were earlier arrested.

The department had also arrested Indian national Thupten Tsering, who was living at Lazimpat-based Comfort Apartments, and a Chinese national, as he was trying to leave Nepal on an Air China flight from the airport’s immigration desk, on suspicion of being an agent of a gold smuggler.