Biratnagar, May 31
The Morang District Court on Thursday recorded statement of Nepal Police SSP Shyam Khatri, who has been alleged of facilitating the smuggling of a large quantity of gold through Tribhuvan International Airport over a span of past few years.
Khatri, who was on the run for last few weeks, had surrendered to the court earlier this morning.
It is expected that the Court will begin the hearing on whether he be sent to the judicial custody or freed during the next phase of investigation today itself.
Chudamani Upreti alias Gore, the accused mastermind behind the smuggling of around 3,800 kg gold over past few years, had claimed that he bribed SSP Khatri to smuggle the precious yellow metal via Nepal’s only international airport.
Khatri would help the racket transport gold by taking a bribe of Rs 50,000 per kilo, according to Gore. It is said that he received Rs 11.2 million from the racket in total.
The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) had already issued a diffusion notice against Khatri.
Around two years ago, police had arrested Khatri in connection with another gold smuggling case. The court, however, had acquitted him.
