Nepal Police arrests son of former Vice President on gold smuggling case from China
Mar 15, 2024
Kathmandu [Nepal], March 15 : Nepal Police on Friday apprehended Dipesh Pun, son of former Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, in connection to the case involving gold smuggling
from China.
Along with the gold smuggling charges, the arrest of Pun also comes in connection with cooperative frauds.
Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane confirmed the detention of Dipesh from Kathmandu late on Friday evening. Pun has been on the run after recording his statement with the Central Intelligence Bureau in September last year.
Investigating the authority of the Nepal Police, the CIB interrogated the son of the former Vice President for his suspected involvement in the smuggling of 61 kilograms of gold seized from the premises of Tribhuvan International Airport in July 2023.
Pun went off the radar after recording the statement, despite the condition that he be present as and when needed in the course of the investigation.
On February 5, depositors of the Pokhara-based Suryadarshan Savings and Credit Cooperatives had submitted a complaint to the district police against three people, including Rastriya Swatantra Party chair Lamichhane, now home minister.
The cooperative victims had presented the details to the district police also against Dipesh, former chair of the cooperative Gyan Bahadur Bomjan and 15 different companies.
Dipesh is alleged to have exploited his father's position to facilitate gold smuggling from China.
