KATHMANDU, Oct 27: In 2017, Chudamani Upreti, alias Gore, was arrested along with others in connection with a case involving 33 kilograms of gold allegedly brought from Dubai. Although investigators claimed that the gold had been brought under Gore's leadership, its whereabouts remained a mystery. The case also involved the murder of Sanam Shakya in Morang. Gore told investigators that Shakya was killed over the missing gold. Gore is currently in prison.
Following the investigation, cases were filed against 77 people, including those accused of transporting the gold, investing in it and purchasing it. The crackdown weakened Nepal's domestic gold smuggling network to some extent, but the smuggling of gold into the country continued. Chinese nationals subsequently began emerging in major gold smuggling investigations.
On July 18, 2023, authorities seized 61 kilograms of gold from the customs area of Tribhuvan International Airport. The gold had been brought from Hong Kong concealed in brake shoes. An investigation revealed the involvement of a Chinese group. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police found that Dawa Tsering, a Belgian national of Chinese origin, had married Nepali woman Amala Roka and allegedly used his political connections to smuggle as much as 3,700 kilograms of gold.
The Chinese group had rented land in Tokha, Kathmandu, and established a facility to melt and distribute gold. Six members of the group also held Nepali citizenship certificates. Following the investigation into the 61-kilogram gold smuggling case, charges were filed against 50 people. Nine Chinese nationals, including Dawa, escaped from prison during the Gen Z protests on September 9 last year.
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The seizure of 21 kilograms of gold on October 7 has raised fresh concerns that Chinese nationals are seeking to establish a new gold smuggling network in Nepal. Three Chinese nationals were arrested in connection with the case, but they have been uncooperative with investigators.
The Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office (KVCIO) had kept the three suspects under surveillance for 10 days before taking them into custody. Investigators found that they had rented a house in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu, for Rs 330,000 a month and hired a Nepali security guard. Police sources said the suspects later removed the guard over fears that information about their activities could leak.
Police have sent mobile phones seized from the suspects to the Digital Forensic Lab (DFL) for examination. Santosh Khadka, SSP and chief of the KVCIO, said investigators were awaiting the forensic report to determine where the gold had originated. Although preliminary findings suggest that it may have come from China, the suspects' lack of cooperation has made it difficult to uncover further details, he said.
According to Khadka, investigators believe that the actual owner of the gold is based in China. The three suspects have told police that they were assigned only to transport the gold. They also said they had delivered gold to a hotel in Lazimpat on one occasion but could not identify the hotel because they had visited it at night. Khadka said the suspects communicated with the person sending the gold through WeChat, adding that further details could emerge after the mobile phone forensic report is received.
Investigators have so far found no evidence of Nepali nationals being involved in the group's operation. Police also believe the suspects may not have brought gold into Nepal on multiple occasions, based on their travel records.
"We have not found any indication that this group sought help from Nepali nationals, and their travel records do not suggest that they brought gold in multiple consignments. Our understanding is that they may have been caught on their first attempt. The mobile phone forensic report may reveal more," Khadka said.
According to Khadka, the travel records of the arrested Chinese nationals suggest that they came to Nepal in July to plan the smuggling operation. Su Kan, a Chinese national, rented the private house in Budhanilkantha where police later seized the gold on October 7, agreeing to pay Rs 330,000 a month. He paid Rs 1.32 million in advance for four months' rent before returning to China on August 15, according to records.
After reaching China, Su handed the house key to Zhang Ji-Li, who then gave it to Han Fei and Zhou Langqin and sent them to Nepal, police investigations have found. Both are currently in police custody. They arrived in Nepal from China on September 27 carrying the key to the rented house. They also hired a vehicle with a BOID registration number at the airport until October 11.
Passport records show that another Chinese national, Wang Jianzheng, arrived in Kathmandu on October 1. Investigators believe Han Fei initially came to Nepal to assess the prospects for gold smuggling. He reportedly visited Kathmandu with his wife in July, surveyed the local market and explored possible opportunities for smuggling before returning to China.
Police investigations suggest that Han later brought two other individuals to Nepal. Investigators are also examining whether the group had links with the network led by Dawa Tsering, which brought gold from Hong Kong.
