Kathmandu, Oct. 10 -- Over the past decade, authorities have seized 579kg and 219 grams of gold smuggled into Nepal by air and land, collected Rs5.62 billion in revenue and arrested 768 people.

Investigations have uncovered major smuggling networks, leading to cases against alleged kingpins and even police officers.

Yet the illicit trade continues.

The latest seizure came on Thursday, when police recovered 21.75kg of gold in a semi-solid form from a house in Budhanilkantha, on the northern edge of Kathmandu.

Officers from the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office in Teku found equipment for smelting and casting gold into bars, and weighing it. Three Chinese nationals were arrested.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police S...