KATHMANDU – In a growing concern for authorities, Chinese smugglers have deepened their illicit operations in Nepal, engaging in activities ranging from gold and dollar smuggling to fraud. The issue of gold smuggling from Nepal has garnered significant attention, with investigations ongoing.
Recent statistics from the Nepal Police reveal a disturbing trend of gold smuggling over the past decade.
Approximately 700 kilograms of illegal gold have been seized within Nepal during this period, leading to the arrest of over 700 individuals involved in these illicit activities. What’s even more alarming is that a substantial number of the prime suspects, both those arrested and those on the run, are Chinese nationals.
Experts have pointed out that Chinese smugglers are taking advantage of the citizenship and economic struggles faced by Nepalese youth. They assert that Indian and Nepalis businessmen have unwittingly become conduits for Chinese smugglers. Recent police investigations into a significant gold smuggling scandal revealed that, apart from local couriers, the principal investors behind the operation are Chinese nationals.
The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police (CIB) has compiled a damning report indicating that Chinese businessmen, exploiting weaknesses within airport technology and manpower, have cultivated alliances with staff at the Tribhuvan International Airport Customs Office. Shockingly, this report also implicates Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Vice President of the Maoist center, and his son Rahul Mahara in the gold release process.
The investigation report submitted to the public prosecutor’s office highlights Mahara’s repeated attempts to influence the customs department to auction e-cigarettes stored within the customs office.
This is not the first instance of Chinese nationals being central to smuggling operations in Nepal. In August 2074, the smuggling of 88 kilograms of gold through the Rasuwagadhi crossing into Kathmandu left law enforcement puzzled as the main culprits managed to evade capture. While the Kathmandu District Court fined the Chinese couple Yang Wen Wing and Pan Wei Ming, only the driver Manoj Adhikari was apprehended.
Chinese smugglers, often ingratiating themselves with high-ranking political figures in Nepal, have expanded their illegal trade activities by operating through fronts such as hotels and restaurants. Their operations encompass not only gold smuggling but also dollar smuggling, banking crimes, fraud, and theft within the country.
As an increasing number of Chinese individuals entering Nepal under the guise of tourists and tourism professionals become associated with criminal networks, the police have ramped up surveillance in areas such as Thamel, Boudha, Mahaboudha, Swayambhu, and Baluwatar, where significant Chinese communities reside.
