KATHMANDU: On June 30, at around 4:00 PM, a routine security check was underway at the cargo complex of Tribhuvan International Airport. The inspection that day, however, was far from ordinary.

For the past few days, security agencies had been receiving intelligence that valuable materials were about to be smuggled abroad through a specific cargo company by evading customs. Consequently, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Basanta Rajoure, the chief of the Tribhuvan Airport Security Office, had instructed his team to exercise special vigilance.

In the course of this heightened monitoring, a consignment registered under the name of Apex Logistics Pvt. Ltd. via Unique Cargo was placed into the baggage screening machine. The customs declaration documents stated that the cargo contained shoes, pants, sarees, and other clothing items. However, the silhouettes visible on the X-ray screen did not match the documentation.

Detecting metallic shapes concealed inside the clothing, the security team opened the baggage for a physical inspection. According to the police, the search revealed an attempt to smuggle gold and silver jewelry to the United States, hidden beneath the layers of apparel.

Traditional Nepalese jewelry hidden in clothing

Following the seizure, the items were sent to the Gold and Silver Dealers Association in Chhetrapati on July 2 for verification. The test confirmed the haul contained 285.178 grams of gold and 3 kilograms and 914 grams of silver.

The confiscated jewelry featured authentic, traditional Nepalese designs. According to the police, ornaments such as Naugedi (a traditional nine-gem necklace), Chandrama (moon-shaped pendants), Jantar (amulets), brooches featuring the Nepalese flag, single and double brooches, Mangalsutra, pearl necklaces, trident-designed (Trishul) necklaces, square necklaces, spiked bangles (Kandawala Chura), Shirbandi (traditional headpieces) with matching earrings, dangling earrings (Jhumka), and chains were found packed inside cartons within the clothing.

Silver jewelry seized by the police.

The value of the gold jewelry is estimated at Rs 6,734,350, while the silver jewelry is valued at Rs 1,438,043. Based on these evaluations, the total value of the seized precious metals exceeds Rs 8.1 million.

According to the Airport Security Office, 46-year-old Yajna Raj Subedi, the operator of Apex Logistics Pvt. Ltd., and 34-year-old Ram Prasad Dahal, the operator of Unique Cargo, were arrested on charges of illegal export of assets. They were later released on bail and are currently maintaining regular mandatory appearances before customs authorities.

According to SSP Rajoure, the police had ramped up surveillance following tip-offs that illicit activities had been operating through this cargo channel for some time. “The customs documents declared shoes, pants, sarees, and other clothing, but gold and silver jewelry were discovered inside,” he stated. “While illegal activities at the airport are not unheard of, an incident of this specific nature is rare.”

Suspicion of ‘Misdeclaration’

According to investigators, finding goods that completely contradict the customs declaration points toward a deliberate attempt at customs evasion, illegal asset flight, or laundering the true source of wealth.

In international trade, exporters are legally mandated to declare the actual description, quantity, and value of goods at customs. Investigating officers note that attempting to ship high-value gold and silver jewelry under the guise of low-value apparel strongly indicates a calculated effort to conceal the true nature of the commercial transaction.

Officers involved in the case further stated that such an operation is rarely possible through the solitary initiative of a customs agent or cargo operator. As a result, the investigation is heavily focusing on the broader network involved in ‘misdeclaration smuggling’—the practice of trafficking contraband by intentionally falsifying cargo documentation.

Gold and silver seized by the police.

In this method of smuggling, actual high-value goods are concealed beneath low-risk declared items. The objective is to deceive the automated customs system, hide the true financial volume of the transaction, and bypass regulatory oversights.

According to the police, had the metallic signatures gone unnoticed during the initial screening, the cargo would have successfully departed for the United States as ordinary garments. In that event, gold and silver jewelry worth millions would have completely evaded official customs registries.

Questions raised over the customs process

The police investigation has confirmed that Unique Cargo attempted to ship the precious metals to the US through Apex Logistics Pvt. Ltd. Furthermore, investigators reveal that an individual linked to the cargo currently resides in the United States, and their role is under intense scrutiny. “Since the involvement of a Nepali national residing in America appears highly suspicious, we are investigating that angle as well,” SSP Rajoure stated.

He clarified that if any cargo appears suspicious during or even after the customs clearance process, security agencies retain the full authority to take custody of it for investigation. He added that if actionable intelligence regarding contraband transit is received, a consignment can be halted or recalled even after it has formally entered the transit pipeline. “The police have explicit authority to intercept, recall, and investigate cargo if there is any viable suspicion or information regarding the movement of illegal goods,” he said.

However, security officials also noted a systemic loophole: the police’s authority to re-examine inbound goods entering Nepal from abroad becomes significantly limited once the formal customs clearance is officially completed.

The assortment of gold and silver jewelry seized by the police.

The Tribhuvan Airport Customs Office has formally registered a case and is spearheading the investigation. However, when pressed on how such a massive oversight occurred during the initial customs clearance stage, Chief Customs Administrator Ram Krishna Pudasaini deflected, stating that specific answers must be sought directly from the legal/case section.

Baburam Ghimire, the Customs Information Officer and Head of the Case Section, confirmed that the investigation was formally launched after the gold and silver were intercepted during active export clearance. However, Ghimire maintained that detailed findings regarding the clearance process failures, the declared manifests, and the exact roles of the suspects cannot be disclosed publicly until the investigation is fully complete.

“A formal case has been initiated, and a dedicated investigating officer has been assigned,” Ghimire stated. “Whether the items were being moved completely outside of customs knowledge—meaning entirely undeclared—is something we will make public only after the investigation concludes.”