The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) on Tuesday interrogated Dipesh Pun, son of former Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, for his alleged involvement in the smuggling of 60.716 kg gold which was seized immediately after it passed undetected from Tribhuvan International Airport customs office in Kathmandu in July. The gold, smuggled in eight consignments, was seized from Sinamangal, Kathmandu.

“Pun was called for investigation as we found his connection with Dawa Tshering, the main suspect in the gold smuggling case,” a senior official at the CIB told the Post.

After CIB officials recorded his statement, Pun was freed on the condition that he be present as and when needed in the course of investigation, said the official.

A team from the Department of Revenue Investigation had arrested Tshering, a Belgian national of Chinese origin, from the Thamel-based Hotel Vienna on July 29 to inquire about his alleged involvement in the gold haul.

Since Tshering’s arrest, several media outlets have reported his connection with Dipesh Pun and pictures showing the two together have been widely circulated on social media.

Dipesh Pun, who is the general secretary of the student wing of the ruling CPN (Maoist Centre), was included in the gold smuggling investigation a week after the arrest of Rahul Mahara, son of former Speaker of the House of Representatives Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who is also the vice-chair of Maoist Centre, in connection with another case of smuggling of 9 kg gold.

Police had found that the Mahara duo were in regular contact with a Chinese national who was allegedly smuggling gold concealed inside electric cigarettes in several lots. The Maharas have refuted the allegations while police say they haven’t been able to book senior Mahara due to lack of proper evidence against him. Police say they are gathering evidence to prove his involvement in the smuggling.

Police officials investigating the case said they had found a strong link between Tshering and leaders of the ruling Maoist Centre and administrative personnel.

“We have been inquiring about many persons associated with Tshering,” the CIB official said.

The officials also said that the CIB had summoned Jhalak Ram Adhikari, director general of the Department of Immigration, among dozens of other bureaucrats, to record their statements about the gold smuggling case.

The accused Adhikari, has now been transferred to the Home Ministry after his link was found, according to the officials. He was allegedly accused of having frequent interactions with Tshering on the Chinese social media platform WeChat.

Meanwhile, it was revealed that the Hong Kong Customs Authority has told Nepal’s Customs Department that the smugglers had used fake documents in July to get the 60 kg gold cleared from Hong Kong customs.

After the information was relayed, the CIB sent Senior Superintendent of Police Dinesh Acharya to Hong Kong to investigate local connections to gold smuggling, Nepal Police spokesperson Deputy Inspector General Kuber Kadayat told the Post.