Mustang EV imports found legal, Rasuwagadhi customs probe exposes clearance lapses

Mustang EV imports found legal, Rasuwagadhi customs probe exposes clearance lapses

Kathmandu-Nepal’s Customs Department has confirmed that 649 electric vehicles (EVs) imported through the Mustang border point entered the country legally and were cleared in accordance with customs regulations. However, an investigation has uncovered serious procedural irregularities in the customs clearance process for EVs imported through the Rasuwagadhi border.

According to a statement issued by the department, a monitoring team assigned to the Mustang Customs Office conducted a detailed review of official records and CCTV footage. The team concluded that all 649 EVs had entered Nepal by May 28 (Jestha 14) and had completed customs clearance in compliance with existing laws and procedures.

In contrast, the investigation into Rasuwagadhi Customs Office found that officials failed to exercise adequate caution and fulfill their professional responsibilities during the clearance process. The monitoring team discovered that some vehicles were cleared based solely on documentation before they had physically arrived at the customs point.

Following the findings, the Ministry of Finance and the Customs Department have already suspended 13 officials, including the then chief of the Rasuwagadhi Customs Office, and initiated departmental action against them.

The Customs Department has also directed Rasuwagadhi Customs Office to take legal action under prevailing customs laws against several companies involved in the imports, including Laxmi e-Mobility Pvt. Ltd., Cimex Inc. Ltd., CG Motors Pvt. Ltd., Pooja International Pvt. Ltd., as well as customs clearance agents identified as Agent No. 833 and Agent No. 478.

The investigation has intensified scrutiny of customs procedures at one of Nepal’s key northern trade gateways, raising concerns about oversight and accountability in the import clearance system.