Purity of seized gold 99.9 per cent

KATHMANDU, AUGUST 22: In the ongoing investigation into the gold smuggling case, it has been revealed that the purity of the gold concealed in the brake shoe of a motorcycle, which was brought from Hong Kong by smugglers, is 99.9 percent. The examination was conducted by the Department of Mint at the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).

Dr. Dilliram Pokharel, Assistant Spokesperson for NRB, stated that purity of 99.9 percent indicates that the gold is completely pure. The report confirming the gold's purity has been sent to relevant authorities, including NRB and the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI).

Nawaraj Dhungana, Director-General of DRI, confirmed that they received the information about the gold's purity, specifying that it is of 24 carats standard.

The gold, which was initially concealed in brake shoes, was later melted and formed into gold biscuits. After melting, the weight of the gold decreased by 73 grams. The DRI had confiscated a total of 155 kilograms of brake shoes containing gold on July 19. The investigation into the gold smuggling case is currently being conducted by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police.