Police on Wednesday arrested six people from Chandragiri Municipality-15 in Kathmandu while trying to sell what is believed to be pages taken out of ancient Buddhist scripture written with gold letters.

Following a tip-off, a special team from the Metropolitan Police Circle in Thankot and the Metropolitan Police Crime Division arrested the six men from Dhungeadda.

“We have recovered 16 pages of Buddhist scriptures written with golden ink from the suspects,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajkumar Kc, spokesperson for the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range. “We are yet to ascertain where the suspects got those pages, which we believe are ancient and of religious importance.”

Police have identified the six men as Gahendra Singh Aatreya, 32, of Khotang; Janak Giri, 42, of Kavre; Rajendra Bahadur Joshi, 64, of Tarakeswar Municipality in Kathmandu; Roshan Tamang, 34, of Nuwakot; and Subash Kumar Basnet, 31, and Hari Bahadur Lamichhane, 33, of Okhaldhunga.

They were allegedly trying to sell the relic for Rs 50 million.