Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police arrested three persons and seized 33 kg of gold from their possession at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu on Thursday.

The gold was flown in from UAE via an Air Arabia flight and had passed undectected through the airport customs. It was later seized at the Golden gate of the airport.

Gopal Bahadur Shahi, who had flown in from UAE with the gold, has been arrested from the airport gate while he was about to leave for his destination on a hired cab.

Following his arrest, Shahi informed about two others persons coming to receive the gold. Police later arrested Dinbandhu Thapa of Morang and Santosh Kafle Shahi of Dhanusha when they reached the airport on a private car.

The confiscated gold includes 244 biscuits, 18 chains and 11 rings. CIB DIG Nawaraj Silwal said the gold was wrapped inside polythene bags in two different luggages and weighed 33 kg.

"The confiscation has raised questions how such a big amount of gold was not detected during regular customs checking," said Silwal.

Silwal said they were tipped about the gold from abroad. "We are investigating the case," he added.