The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police has arrested 20 more individuals, including four Indians and two Chinese nationals, in connection with the 60-kg gold smuggling case.

They were paraded amid a press conference in Kathmandu on Monday.

Speaking at the conference, Additional Inspector General of Police Shyam Lal Gyawali, who is also chief of the CIB, said the gang smuggled around 3,194 kg of gold by concealing it on motorcycle brake pads, among other goods.

An investigation by the CIB states that 362 kg and 778 grams of gold was smuggled by hiding it in brake pads. Similarly, 2,831 kg and 890 grams of the precious metal were sneaked into Nepal by concealing it in various electronic goods on different shipments. The smuggled gold fetches Rs30.82 billion in the market, according to police. CIB said it is investigating the location of the smuggled gold.

It is alleged that two Nepali payment gateways, Paywell Nepal Private Limited and Sajilo Payment Service Private Limited, were used in payment for the illegal gold. Eight people, including the board of directors, employees, and agents of the payment gateways, have been arrested in connection with the case.

On July 18, 2023, the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) seized a huge cache of smuggled gold from the Sinamangal area near the Tribhuvan International Airport soon after it had exited the airport.

Later, the DRI handed over the case to the CIB for further investigation.

The gold, packed in eight sealed cartons, was sent to the mint division of the central bank for weighing. The gross weight of the consignment seized was determined to be 155 kg. The mint division later melted the smuggled gold, which had been smuggled as motorcycle brake pads, and found that the weight of pure gold was 60.789kg.

On September 17 last year, the Kathmandu District Attorney Office filed a case against 29 people at the District Court, Kathmandu, for their involvement in the smuggling. The accused has been charged with illegal import and smuggling of gold, money laundering and organised crime.