Amala Roka, a key suspect in Nepal’s biggest gold smuggling case, has finally been arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) from Kathmandu. She was on the run in connection with the smuggling of 61 kg of gold that passed unchecked through Tribhuvan International Airport in 2080.
Interpol had issued a diffusion notice against her. Roka is the wife of Belgian national Dawa Tsering, another key figure in the case. She is also known as a former Maoist leader from Rolpa, raising further questions about political links behind the smuggling.
The gold was seized on 2nd Saun 2080 after it had already cleared customs at the airport. Nineteen days later, the Revenue Investigation Department handed the case over to the CIB for further probe. Roka was reportedly involved in operating Hotel Vienna in Thamel, which is registered under her name.
Sources say that Amala and three Chinese nationals once took a helicopter trip to Gosaikunda, along with Dipesh Pun, the son of former Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun. Dipesh’s name also surfaced during the investigation led by ex-High Court judge Dilliram Acharya.
In late 2076, the CIB launched a crackdown on Chinese nationals involved in cyber crimes and other illegal activities in Kathmandu. Though 122 Chinese citizens were arrested, some high-profile names escaped due to alleged political connections.
Reports reveal that the Chinese Embassy had already shared Dawa Tsering’s name and passport number at that time. Despite this, he and others managed to avoid arrest, raising concerns over the influence of high-level connections in sensitive cases.
