"smuggling racket"

#13031735

27 November 2025

Former Nepali House Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara is escorted in a police van from the central jail in Kathmandu, Nepal, to the district court following a court order to release him on bail in a gold smuggling case on November 27, 2025. Former Speaker and CPN (Maoist Centre) Vice-chair Krishna Bahadur Mahara is arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in connection with a gold smuggling case. The Patan High Court orders his release on a bail amount of NRs 2 million. Mahara is arrested on October 12, 2025, following fresh instructions from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), which conducts an inquiry into his alleged involvement in smuggling gold concealed inside electronic cigarettes (vapes) in collaboration with a Chinese organized group. According to police, the CIAA seeks his detention to move forward with a renewed probe into his role in facilitating the entry of smuggled gold through the vape-import channel. Mahara is questioned by the CIAA only days earlier, on October 9, 2025. Although his name surfaces in the gold smuggling case three years ago, both the District Government Attorney's Office and Nepal Police previously free him during earlier rounds of investigation. Authorities now allege that Mahara uses his political influence to help a smuggling racket bring gold into Nepal in 2022, an operation that also leads to the arrest of his son, Rahul Mahara, on suspicion of involvement. In March 2024, Mahara is arrested from Kapilvastu and brought to Kathmandu for questioning related to the case. The Kathmandu District Court later remands him to custody, but he is allowed to stay at Norvic Hospital citing health complications. A high-level government commission led by former High Court Chief Judge Dilli Raj Acharya earlier criticizes the CIB for ''intentionally avoiding'' a full investigation into Mahara and other senior officials allegedly linked to large-scale gold smuggling.

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#13031738

27 November 2025

Former Nepali House Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara is escorted in a police van from the central jail in Kathmandu, Nepal, to the district court following a court order to release him on bail in a gold smuggling case on November 27, 2025. Former Speaker and CPN (Maoist Centre) Vice-chair Krishna Bahadur Mahara is arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in connection with a gold smuggling case. The Patan High Court orders his release on a bail amount of NRs 2 million. Mahara is arrested on October 12, 2025, following fresh instructions from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), which conducts an inquiry into his alleged involvement in smuggling gold concealed inside electronic cigarettes (vapes) in collaboration with a Chinese organized group. According to police, the CIAA seeks his detention to move forward with a renewed probe into his role in facilitating the entry of smuggled gold through the vape-import channel. Mahara is questioned by the CIAA only days earlier, on October 9, 2025. Although his name surfaces in the gold smuggling case three years ago, both the District Government Attorney's Office and Nepal Police previously free him during earlier rounds of investigation. Authorities now allege that Mahara uses his political influence to help a smuggling racket bring gold into Nepal in 2022, an operation that also leads to the arrest of his son, Rahul Mahara, on suspicion of involvement. In March 2024, Mahara is arrested from Kapilvastu and brought to Kathmandu for questioning related to the case. The Kathmandu District Court later remands him to custody, but he is allowed to stay at Norvic Hospital citing health complications. A high-level government commission led by former High Court Chief Judge Dilli Raj Acharya earlier criticizes the CIB for ''intentionally avoiding'' a full investigation into Mahara and other senior officials allegedly linked to large-scale gold smuggling.

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#4023386

20 March 2019

Afghan security officials present suspects who were allegedly smuggling huge quantities of ammunition (rockets) to Jalalabad, Afhanistan, on 20 March 2019, after they were arrested by the border security force in Jalalabad. Afghan Border police have seized 40 rockets in Momand Dara district of eastern Nangarhar province, an official said.

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#4023388

20 March 2019

Afghan security officials present suspects who were allegedly smuggling huge quantities of ammunition (rockets) to Jalalabad, Afhanistan, on 20 March 2019, after they were arrested by the border security force in Jalalabad. Afghan Border police have seized 40 rockets in Momand Dara district of eastern Nangarhar province, an official said.

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#4023390

20 March 2019

Afghan security officials present suspects who were allegedly smuggling huge quantities of ammunition (rockets) to Jalalabad, Afhanistan, on 20 March 2019, after they were arrested by the border security force in Jalalabad. Afghan Border police have seized 40 rockets in Momand Dara district of eastern Nangarhar province, an official said.

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#4023392

20 March 2019

Afghan security officials present suspects who were allegedly smuggling huge quantities of ammunition (rockets) to Jalalabad, Afhanistan, on 20 March 2019, after they were arrested by the border security force in Jalalabad. Afghan Border police have seized 40 rockets in Momand Dara district of eastern Nangarhar province, an official said.

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#186754

9 July 2014

A Palestinian woman cries as she mourns the killing and the death of her brother, who medics said Israeli shelling, at a hospital in Gaza City, July 23, 2014. Israeli forces bombed the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, sending thousands of people fleeing and said he was meeting fierce resistance from Hamas, as flew U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to Tel Aviv to pay cease-fire talks. Israel launched its offensive on July 8 to stop the firing of rockets by Hamas, who have been struggling under the weight of the Israeli-Egyptian economic blockade and angry supporters of the campaign in the occupied West Bank nearby. A medic killed some 643 Palestinians, many of them children and civilians in the explosion, including the hit-old seven years with a shot in the southern Gaza Strip early on Wednesday. And killed about 29 Israeli soldiers, including an officer was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper tank overnight. She was killed two civilians with rocket fire.

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#186755

9 July 2014

A Palestinian woman cries as she mourns the killing and the death of her brother, who medics said Israeli shelling, at a hospital in Gaza City, July 23, 2014. Israeli forces bombed the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, sending thousands of people fleeing and said he was meeting fierce resistance from Hamas, as flew U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to Tel Aviv to pay cease-fire talks. Israel launched its offensive on July 8 to stop the firing of rockets by Hamas, who have been struggling under the weight of the Israeli-Egyptian economic blockade and angry supporters of the campaign in the occupied West Bank nearby. A medic killed some 643 Palestinians, many of them children and civilians in the explosion, including the hit-old seven years with a shot in the southern Gaza Strip early on Wednesday. And killed about 29 Israeli soldiers, including an officer was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper tank overnight. She was killed two civilians with rocket fire.

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#186765

9 July 2014

The effects of the orbit in a house which witnesses said was destoyed by an Israeli air strike, in Gaza City July 23, 2014. Israeli forces pounded the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, sending thousands of residents fleeing, and said it was meeting stiff resistance from Hamas Islamists, as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Tel Aviv to push ceasefire talks. Israel launched its offensive on July 8 to halt missile salvoes by Hamas Islamists, who were struggling under the weight of an Israeli-Egyptian economic blockade and angered by a crackdown on their supporters in the nearby occupied West Bank. Some 643 Palestinians, many of them children and civilians have died in the conflagration, including a seven-year-old hit by a shell in southern Gaza early Wednesday, a medic said. Some 29 Israeli soldiers have been killed, including a tank officer shot by a Palestinian sniper overnight. Two civilians have been slain by rocket fire.

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#186766

9 July 2014

Palestinians take pictures of the remains of the house which witnesses said was destoyed by an Israeli air strike, in Gaza City July 23, 2014. Israeli forces pounded the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, sending thousands of residents fleeing, and said it was meeting stiff resistance from Hamas Islamists, as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Tel Aviv to push ceasefire talks. Israel launched its offensive on July 8 to halt missile salvoes by Hamas Islamists, who were struggling under the weight of an Israeli-Egyptian economic blockade and angered by a crackdown on their supporters in the nearby occupied West Bank. Some 643 Palestinians, many of them children and civilians have died in the conflagration, including a seven-year-old hit by a shell in southern Gaza early Wednesday, a medic said. Some 29 Israeli soldiers have been killed, including a tank officer shot by a Palestinian sniper overnight. Two civilians have been slain by rocket fire.

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#186767

9 July 2014

Palestinians take pictures of the remains of the house which witnesses said was destoyed by an Israeli air strike, in Gaza City July 23, 2014. Israeli forces pounded the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, sending thousands of residents fleeing, and said it was meeting stiff resistance from Hamas Islamists, as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Tel Aviv to push ceasefire talks. Israel launched its offensive on July 8 to halt missile salvoes by Hamas Islamists, who were struggling under the weight of an Israeli-Egyptian economic blockade and angered by a crackdown on their supporters in the nearby occupied West Bank. Some 643 Palestinians, many of them children and civilians have died in the conflagration, including a seven-year-old hit by a shell in southern Gaza early Wednesday, a medic said. Some 29 Israeli soldiers have been killed, including a tank officer shot by a Palestinian sniper overnight. Two civilians have been slain by rocket fire.

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#186768

9 July 2014

The effects of the orbit in a house which witnesses said was destoyed by an Israeli air strike, in Gaza City July 23, 2014. Israeli forces pounded the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, sending thousands of residents fleeing, and said it was meeting stiff resistance from Hamas Islamists, as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Tel Aviv to push ceasefire talks. Israel launched its offensive on July 8 to halt missile salvoes by Hamas Islamists, who were struggling under the weight of an Israeli-Egyptian economic blockade and angered by a crackdown on their supporters in the nearby occupied West Bank. Some 643 Palestinians, many of them children and civilians have died in the conflagration, including a seven-year-old hit by a shell in southern Gaza early Wednesday, a medic said. Some 29 Israeli soldiers have been killed, including a tank officer shot by a Palestinian sniper overnight. Two civilians have been slain by rocket fire.

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#53445

13 March 2014

Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli air strikes on smuggling tunnels in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 13, 2014. Egypt brokered a ceasefire on Thursday aimed at ending a flare-up of rocket attacks from Gaza on Israeli towns and Israeli air strikes in the Palestinian enclave, the Islamic Jihad militant group said.

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#53446

13 March 2014

Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli air strikes on smuggling tunnels in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 13, 2014. Egypt brokered a ceasefire on Thursday aimed at ending a flare-up of rocket attacks from Gaza on Israeli towns and Israeli air strikes in the Palestinian enclave, the Islamic Jihad militant group said.

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#53447

13 March 2014

Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli air strikes on smuggling tunnels in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 13, 2014. Egypt brokered a ceasefire on Thursday aimed at ending a flare-up of rocket attacks from Gaza on Israeli towns and Israeli air strikes in the Palestinian enclave, the Islamic Jihad militant group said.

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