Kathmandu. The Department of Asset Laundering has filed a case against various individuals involved in smuggling 33 kg of gold. The department filed the case in the Dolakha District Court on Chaitra 5.
A total of 6.32 billion 71 million rupees has been claimed from the participants in the gold smuggling. The defendants in the case of illegal gold smuggling and organized crime have been filed. Those involved in the gold smuggling include Geng Rou, Akar Lama, Nurbu Tshiring Sherpa, Pemba Tamang, Chasman Tamang, Sadan Pradhan, Mahima Majhi, Lal Bahadur Tamang, Saroj Bhandari, Pawan Gupta, Milan B.K. Milan is a Newar.
Similarly, the investigation of the department has revealed that Lalita Khatri and Suresh alias Durga Bahadur Khatri illegally imported gold into Nepal and paid for it through illegal DIGITAL CURRENCY (USTD) crypto currency. The department has accused them of committing organized crime by trading crypto currency and acquiring illegal assets through criminal activities.
The department has stated that the defendants have increased the assets obtained from illegal gold trading by investing them in various businesses. 11 kg of gold was recovered from the defendants. Out of the total 11 kg of gold, 4 gold bars weighing 4 kg each with a market value of Rs. 37.586 million, based on the letter from the Kathmandu Gold and Silver Merchants Association, it has been revealed that the accused, in collusion with each other, illegally imported a total of 33 kg of gold into Nepal repeatedly for the purpose of earning money.
The department has alleged that the gold was paid for (DIGITAL CURRENCY) in crypto currency, US dollars, as well as in cash, and that the transaction of crypto currency was carried out by committing organized crime and acquiring illegal assets through the same crime.
The accused have been charged under Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2064 (as amended). Action has been demanded as per Sub-section (1). The department has also demanded the confiscation of the money currently deposited in the bank accounts of those individuals as well as the houses and land acquired through the crime. This is the biggest case filed after Joint Secretary Suman Dahal took over as the Director General of the department. More than 20 cases have been filed since Director General Dahal assumed office. With the country being placed on the ‘grey’ list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), there is pressure on the department to conduct major investigations. Director General Dahal has said that he has become a non-committal in large-scale money laundering cases and has taken forward the investigation.
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