Kathmandu [Nepal], March 19 (ANI): Nepali lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties have demanded the formation of a high-level committee to investigate an attempt to smuggle foreign currencies to China.

Addressing Wednesday's parliamentary session, lawmakers from the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, along with opposition CPN-Maoist Center and RPP lawmakers, called for serious government action on the matter.

'Such a massive smuggling operation is not possible without high-level connections. Therefore, we demand the formation of a committee to investigate and probe the matter. This incident has brought to light a picture of the level at which organised crime and smuggling networks are growing at an organised manner. Only drivers and mules are caught in this. It becomes big news for a while, and after a certain time, it fades away,' Madhav Sapkota, a lawmaker from CPN-Maoist Center, said, referring to the smuggling attempt late Monday night.

On Tuesday, the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office announced the seizure of thousands of US dollars and euros that were being smuggled to China. Police confirmed that foreign currency worth approximately NPR 250 million was confiscated from a freight truck bound for China.

The operation took place late Monday night (March 17, 2025), when a team from the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office recovered the amount from a vehicle bearing number Na 7 Kha 1652. The driver was immediately detained.

Raising concerns over the pattern of only arresting low-level operatives, Nepali Congress lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada also demanded a thorough investigation.

'In these kinds of incidents, timely, be it gold smuggle or dollar smuggle, only the carriers have been arrested, and the one who owned that item are always kept on the safe side. I would demand the government's action to end this tendency,' Khatiwada said on Wednesday.

Ruling party CPN-UML lawmaker Raghuji Pant and opposition RPP lawmaker Roshan Karki also stressed the need for a thorough probe into such cases, stating that smuggling attempts had become a recurring issue.

The arrested individual has been identified as Kushang Lama from Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality-1. He had previously served five years in prison for gold smuggling. According to the police, two individuals had instructed him to transport the money from Kerung. Acting on intelligence, authorities intercepted the operation and launched an immediate investigation.

The confiscated foreign currency included 3,119 banknotes of US dollar denominations of one hundred, 179 banknotes of fifty, 11 banknotes of five hundred euros, 480 banknotes of two hundred euros, 4,148 banknotes of one hundred euros, and 17,177 banknotes of fifty euros.

The incident highlights the rising use of Nepal as a transit hub for cross-border crimes by Chinese criminal networks. Smugglers are shifting their methods and routes, making it increasingly challenging for law enforcement agencies.

These activities have not only created a significant challenge for Nepal Police but have also raised concerns that Nepal could become a fertile ground for foreign criminals to orchestrate large-scale illicit operations.

Authorities suspect that the smuggled foreign currency was intended to finance gold smuggling into Nepal. Chinese criminal groups previously used the Tatopani border to import gold illegally, but after the 2015 earthquake, they shifted their operations. The primary smuggling route now passes through Rasuwa's Kerung border crossing, and in some cases, smugglers attempt to move contraband through Tribhuvan International Airport.

Despite a surge in smuggling-related crimes and growing Chinese involvement in illicit activities, Nepal has yet to take decisive action at a higher policy level. Law enforcement agencies continue to crack down on individual operators, but lawmakers argue that unless key figures behind these networks are exposed and punished, such incidents will continue to occur.

With Nepal increasingly being used as a transit point for cross-border financial crimes, there is mounting pressure on the government to strengthen border controls, tighten enforcement, and enhance cooperation with international agencies to dismantle these well-organised smuggling networks. (ANI)