‘How could a quintal of gold get a pass from the Hong Kong customs?’ Nepal’s department asks in a letter.

The Department of Customs has sent a letter to the Hong Kong customs seeking details of the consignment of a quintal of gold smuggled into Kathmandu last week.

A team from the Revenue Investigation Department on July 18 confiscated the gold that was concealed inside motorcycle brake shoes from Singamangal. The consignment was being taken away in a taxi after getting customs clearances from the Tribhuvan International Airport.

The gross weight of the smuggled gold was ascertained to be 155 kilograms, which also included electric shavers, according to officials at the mint division of the Nepal Rastra Bank, which has been entrusted with examining the metal.