At least three office assistants at Tribhuvan International Airport have been arrested on the charge of gold smuggling.

One Sushila Pandey was arrested to investigate her alleged involvement in the smuggling of the precious metal on Wednesday. Two others were arrested earlier.

According to Chief Customs Administrator Tokraj Pandey, the arrestees have been suspected of assisting gold smugglers.

Airport staff have been kept under surveillance after an investigation revealed the involvement of airport staff in assisting smugglers.

On December 7, Chandra Ghale of Barpak, Gorkha, who arrived in Kathmandu by a flydubai flight, was arrested with 14 kg of gold at the airport. He had concealed the gold bars in a waistcoat-like vest that he was wearing.

During interrogation, Ghale argued that he was only a carrier who was told to keep the illegally brought metal at the airport’s restroom-based dustbin from where sanitation staff would take it away to a predetermined destination.

Following the seizure, the customs office had formed a six-member committee headed by Customs Officer Maniram Paudel to investigate the case. The committee was given five days to submit its report.