The Metropolitan Police Airport Security Office (MPASO) arrested a Chinese national with 4,840 gram gold from the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Saturday.
The Chinese national has been identified as 36-year-old Zhang Li. He had arrived in Kathmandu via Himalaya Airlines from Dubai.
Li was arrested from the Welcome Gate of the TIA. He had passed undetected from the customs checking.
“We have officers deployed in civil dress to keep an eye on the people within the TIA premises. The officers look at the ways an individual walks and his/her psychological behaviours among others to identify any possible crime,” said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bhim Prasad Dhakal.
SSP Dhakal, who is also the chief at MPASO, added that Li showed some suspicious behaviour following which he was searched again.
“During the search, the officers confiscated the semi-solid gold from Li. He had hidden it by creating false bottom inside the clothes he was wearing,” said SSP Dhakal.
Police informed that the gold was turned into semi-solid form so that the metal detector at the customs checking could not trace it.
A long packet of semi-solid gold was also found in the belt worn by Li.
According to a statement issued by the MPASO, the market value of four packets of gold weighing 4,840 gram seized from Li is Rs. 39,005,560. Li has been found to be landing in Nepal via TIA on several dates.

“Li has travelled to Nepal several times before as well under a Business Visa. Smuggling almost five kilogram gold alone has also raised further suspicion. This case requires quality investigation as it can help reveal more information,” said SSP Dhakal.
Meanwhile, Li has been handed over to the TIA Customs Office in Gauchar, Kathmandu, including the gold seized from him for further investigation.