Four Indians arrested with huge foreign currency cache

Nepal police have apprehended four Indians from Nepalgunj along the India-Nepal border Friday evening with a huge cache of foreign currency while they were trying to board a Kathmandu-bound flight at the local airport.

The police confisticated 179,500 euros, $2,900 and 1,300 Thai bhats - accounting to more than NRs.24.59 million - from the four Indians.

Police claimed that the men had hidden the money inside their underwear.

"After we found their activities suspicious, we followed them," said Madhu Prasad Pudasaini, SSP of Bheri Zone of mid-west Nepal.

"When they started taking out money from underwear while inside the restroom, we caught them red-handed," he added.

Those arrested are Layak Ahamed (30) from New Delhi, Lisnul Haq (21) of Moradabad, Guddu of Bareilly and Yakub (30) of Moradabad. They told the police that they were planning to visit Thailand via Kathmandu to buy motor parts.

They will be sent to an anti-money laundering unit and a case will be filed against them for illegally carrying foreign currency in Nepal's territory, said Pudasaini.

(Anil Giri can be contacted at girianil@gmail.com)