April 8: Police have arrested Sulav Agarwal, managing director of Shanker Group, on the charge of black-marketing of thermal guns. A special team from the Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) of Nepal Police arrested Agarwal from Baluwatar on Tuesday (April 7).

According to the police, Agarwal was found selling thermal guns at a price five times higher than the market price. A thermal gun which normally costs around Rs 3500 each was sold for Rs 15,000 by Agrawal, according to police.

Police added that Agarwal has imported 20,000 units of thermal guns from China. However, police seized only 67 thermal guns from him while they are seeking for the remaining cache.

The demand for thermal guns has increased due to the spread of Covid 19.

Police said that Agarwal imported the guns on Saturday in a chartered plane. According to police, Agrawal was on a car with diplomatic number plate (209 HCC 1) when he was arrested. Agarwal is the honorary consul of Krygyzstan to Nepal.

Police said further investigations are underway. The special squad of police was sent to buy thermal guns from Agarwal after they got information about blackmarketing. The undercover team reached a deal with Agarwal to buy a bulk of thermal guns at the rate of Rs 15,000 each. It has been reported that Agarwal was selling the gun for as much as Rs 20,000 per piece. Police arrested Agarwal when both parties met at the rendezvous as per the deal.

However, Agarwal has refuted the allegaions, says Senior Superintendent of Police at the MPCD Sahakul Thapa.
 “We have been obtained information that he purchased the thermal guns from China. However, he says that he bought the thermal guns from the local market,” said SSP Thapa

Agarwal has been kept in custody at the Teku-based office of MPCD.