Nepal’s Vape Gold Smuggling Case Deepens as Customs Officer Sent to Judicial Custody

A Nepal court has sent Revanta Khadka, a non-gazetted officer at the Tribhuvan International Airport Customs Office, to judicial custody in a case tied to gold smuggling concealed inside electronic cigarettes, or vapes. The order was issued by a Special Court bench comprising Sudarshan Dev Bhatta, Hemanta Rawal, and Vidur Koirala after the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority filed a case accusing Khadka of causing loss to government property.

The case adds another layer to one of Nepal’s most closely watched airport smuggling investigations, which has already pulled in customs staff, middlemen, and other alleged accomplices. Earlier reporting on the broader probe shows authorities linked the hidden gold to a coordinated smuggling network operating through Tribhuvan International Airport, with investigators saying the metal was concealed inside vapes and moved through a chain of handlers.

How the case unfolded

According to earlier reports, investigators uncovered gold worth Rs 85.52 million hidden inside vapes in a December 2022 airport seizure involving a Chinese national, Li Hansong, at Tribhuvan International Airport. The Central Investigation Bureau later said the case expanded as it examined how the gold moved through the system and who helped facilitate the sale and transport of the smuggled metal.

New Business Age reported that the investigation later revealed the gold had been sold in collusion, with Revanta Khadka identified as part of the chain alongside other officials and suspects. Ratopati also reported that Khadka was among the officials previously investigated and arrested in connection with the vape smuggling scandal.

Why this matters

The custody order signals that the judicial process around the airport smuggling network is still advancing, with the focus now on accountability inside customs and enforcement circles. Cases like this are especially sensitive because they point not only to trafficking, but also to alleged institutional weakness at one of Nepal’s most important entry points.

For investigators, the challenge is no longer limited to finding the contraband. It is also about tracing how the gold was hidden, who cleared it, who moved it, and how the proceeds were distributed after it entered the country.

A wider pattern at the airport

The Tribhuvan International Airport has repeatedly surfaced in smuggling cases involving gold and other contraband. Previous reporting shows that airport-linked investigations have involved customs personnel, cleaning staff, drivers, and multiple foreign and domestic suspects, underscoring how these networks often rely on coordinated inside help.

In that context, Khadka’s custody marks another reminder that the most damaging smuggling operations are often not just about the goods themselves, but about the systems that allow them to slip through.