Kathmandu, February 27
The FlyDubai flight FZ 575 from Dubai landed at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Wednesday night. Among the passengers were four Uzbek nationals who passed through security checks without suspicion.
After clearing immigration and customs, they were allowed to exit. However, as they reached the terminal gate, police found their behaviour suspicious and took them into custody.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Dilfuza Marifalib Akhmadjanovna, Saodat Faiziva Israilovna, Umida Akhmedov Ghulamovna, and Sardar Tursunov. According to SSP Somendra Singh Rathaur, chief of TIA Security Office, Tursunov is the only male among them.
Gold concealed in rectum
Upon inspection, police recovered 3.745 kg of gold concealed in their rectums. The gold had been melted and shaped into small round pellets, which were then smuggled from Dubai to Kathmandu. A total of 24 such pellets were found on the four suspects.
Authorities suspect that the gold was intended for a third country, using India as a transit point.
Women as carriers, man as the owner
Preliminary investigations suggest that the three women were carriers, while Tursunov was the mastermind behind the smuggling attempt. The women claimed they were unaware of the gold’s details and were only following Tursunov’s instructions. Sources indicate they were lured by financial incentives and the opportunity to visit Nepal.
This case is unusual, as gold smuggling operations typically involve only carriers being caught, while the ringleaders remain at large. However, in this instance, the alleged owner of the smuggled gold has also been arrested.
Handing over to customs
The seized gold and the suspects will be handed over to the airport customs office, as smuggling cases fall under customs jurisdiction rather than police investigation, SSP Rathaur stated.
Following their investigation, customs authorities will proceed with legal action for gold smuggling and illegal importation.
In recent years, gold smuggling through TIA has been carried out in small amounts, often in the form of bangles and rings. However, large-scale smuggling has been rare since July 2023, when authorities seized a significant quantity of gold hidden in brake pads after it had already cleared customs.
This latest bust marks a resurgence in large-scale gold smuggling through the airport.
