Security personnel on Sunday detained two men in possession of three bracelets made of yellow metal weighing 149.5 grams in Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu.
The arrested duo has been identified as Samundra Dangal (33) of Chautara, Sangachokgadhi Municipality-7, Sindhupalchowk district, and Santabir Rai (43) of Khandbari Municipality-11, Sankhuwasabha district. Dangal had been currently residing in Duwakot, Bhaktapur district and Rai in Budhanilkantha-12, Kathmandu district.
Dangal allegedly engaged the air passengers of Singapore Airlines flying from Malaysia to Kathmandu via Singapore to smuggle the precious yellow metals. During interrogation carried out by police, it was found that Rai was also involved in the gold smuggling. Rai was also immediately arrested. The police seized also three sets of bracelets from their possession. The duo was apprehended from the Arrival parking area of the international flights terminal.
Likewise, security personnel also recovered 14 bracelets and a necklace made of yellow metal that appeared like gold. Acting on a tip-off that smuggled gold carried by the air passengers travelling on the Singapore Airlines flight were being collected, a team deployed from TIA Security Office had taken control of 15 suspected passengers along with 14 bracelets and a necklace weighing 750 grams from different places in the airport.
During the investigation, the passengers told police that those gold jewellery did not belong to them but unknown people residing around an airport in Malaysia. Dangal and Rai duo had come to collect the gold said police.
Meanwhile, the seized gold and detainees were handed over to TIA Customs Office, Gauchar for necessary actions, informed TIA security office.
Despite heightened security checks at the country's sole international airport, racketeers are found rampantly using it as a transit hub for smuggling gold jewellery and illegal drugs.
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