The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Nepal Police has made 20 new arrests in a major gold smuggling case, including 4 Indians and 2 Chinese nationals. CIB chief AIG Shyam Gyawali shared these updates at a press conference on Monday.

The case began on July 18, 2023, when police found 60 kg of gold hidden in items like brake shoes at Tribhuvan International Airport. Investigations have since revealed that the smuggling ring has trafficked a total of 3,194 kg of gold.

The smugglers used two Nepali payment gateways, Paywell Nepal Private Limited and Easy Payment Service Private Limited, to handle payments for the illegal gold. These companies have processed transactions worth 1 trillion 23 billion rupees. Eight people from these companies have been arrested.

The CIB has charged 29 people and is demanding 3.5 billion rupees from them. Of those arrested, 24 are currently in custody. Charges include violations of several laws, including the Customs Act, the Prevention of Organized Crime Act, and the Nepal Rashtra Bank Act.