KATHMANDU: High-profile businessmen are being arrested one after another in connection with the infamous 33 kg gold smuggling case.
In the last one week alone, the high-level committee formed by the home ministry to investigate the case has already arrested five businessmen. Continuing the arrest of big businessmen in connection with the gold smuggling case, the committee arrested businessman Raju Duarka of Birgunj.
Duarka was attending his son’s wedding reception at Hotel Himalaya in the capital. A team of the committee arrested him right from the reception venue. Duarka, who is a renowned gold jewelry shop owner in Birgunj, has been arrested after investigation showed his involvement in the case, according to the committee. He has been accused of being a part of the ‘wider gold smuggling racket’ and selling the smuggled gold to Indian businessmen.
Prior to Duarka’s arrest, the committee arrested four businessmen for their alleged involvement in the racket, which has already smuggled over 3,800 kilograms of gold into Nepal from Dubai since 2015, according to the committee. The arrest of the four businessmen had led to the discovery of Duarka’s involvement in the smuggling, according to an official of the committee.