India-Nepal border: 3 foreign-origin diamonds seized, 2 held at New Mechi Bridge
Synopsis
SSB's border unit caught three unaccounted foreign-origin diamonds at New Mechi Bridge — the second major seizure on the India–Nepal corridor in 24 hours. The owner, a Nepali citizen born in Hong Kong, could not produce any purchase documents, and investigators are now probing his month-long stay in Sikkim before the attempted cross-border transit.
Key Takeaways
The Border Intelligence Team, 41st Bn SSB , seized three suspected foreign-origin diamonds at New Mechi Bridge on 17 July 2026 .
Purna Kumar Tamang (69) , a Nepali citizen born in Hong Kong , admitted ownership but could not produce any purchase documents.
Sujit Lohar (31) of Darjeeling district, West Bengal was driving the Maruti Suzuki WagonR (WB-73L4869).
Tamang had entered India from Nepal on 21 June 2026 and reportedly stayed in Sikkim before the interception.
Both persons, the diamonds, and the vehicle have been handed to the Customs Office, Panitanki .
The seizure follows a separate incident the previous day in which two Sikkim residents were caught carrying ₹9.74 lakh in unaccounted currency on the same border route.
The Border Intelligence Team (BIT) of the 41st Battalion, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Ranidanga, intercepted a car at the New Mechi Bridge crossing on the India–Nepal border on Thursday, 17 July 2026, recovering three suspected foreign-origin diamonds and detaining two individuals. The operation marks the second significant border seizure in the area within 24 hours.
How the Seizure Unfolded
At approximately 4:25 pm IST, SSB personnel flagged down a Maruti Suzuki WagonR (registration WB-73L4869) travelling from India toward Nepal. A physical search of the occupants' baggage yielded three suspected foreign-origin diamonds concealed inside one of the bags, according to a senior SSB official.
The two occupants were identified as Purna Kumar Tamang (69), a Nepali citizen originally from Lalitpur, Bagmati Province, Kathmandu, Nepal, who was the passenger, and Sujit Lohar (31) of South Stationpara, Rathkhola, Bhimaram, Naxalbari, in Darjeeling district, West Bengal, who was driving.
What Tamang Told Investigators
During a joint interrogation conducted with an Intelligence Bureau (IB) representative, Tamang reportedly admitted ownership of the diamonds. He stated he was born in Hong Kong but holds Nepali citizenship, possessing both an expired Nepali passport (No. 3083805, verified by the Nepali Consulate General in Hong Kong) and a valid Nepali passport (No. 11614848). He also carries a Hong Kong permanent resident card, which investigators noted is not proof of citizenship.
Tamang further stated he had entered India from Nepal on 21 June 2026 and had been staying in Sikkim. Crucially, when asked to produce bills, invoices, or any documentary evidence establishing lawful acquisition of the diamonds, he was unable to do so.
Customs Handover and Ongoing Probe
Both individuals, along with the three diamonds and the vehicle, have been handed over to the Customs Office in Panitanki for further investigation and legal action. Investigators are now tracing Tamang's movements in Sikkim following his 21 June border crossing, and efforts are underway to establish where and how he acquired the unaccounted diamonds.
'If necessary, we shall take up the matter with the authorities in Nepal and Hong Kong. We want to know what kind of business he was engaged in and why he was carrying unaccounted diamonds from India into Nepal,' the senior SSB official said.
A Pattern at the Border
The seizure comes a day after two Sikkim residents were apprehended at the same India–Nepal border stretch while travelling in an SUV to Nepal, carrying ₹9.74 lakh in unaccounted Indian currency. The back-to-back incidents suggest heightened smuggling activity along this corridor, prompting intensified surveillance by SSB border units. This stretch — connecting West Bengal and Sikkim to Nepal — has historically been flagged as a sensitive conduit for cross-border contraband movement.
Point of View
A month-long unexplained stay in Sikkim, and unaccounted diamonds headed back to Nepal raises questions well beyond routine contraband. If investigators do pursue diplomatic channels with Kathmandu and Hong Kong, as the SSB official indicated, it could surface a wider network. The Customs Office at Panitanki, however, is a small station; whether it has the forensic and intelligence capacity to unravel an international diamond trail remains an open question.
NationPress
17 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was seized at the India–Nepal border on 17 July 2026?
Three suspected foreign-origin diamonds were seized from a car at New Mechi Bridge on 17 July 2026. The diamonds were found during a physical search of baggage by the SSB's Border Intelligence Team, and two individuals were detained.
Who are the two persons arrested in the diamond seizure?
The two detainees are Purna Kumar Tamang (69), a Nepali citizen born in Hong Kong who was the passenger and admitted ownership of the diamonds, and Sujit Lohar (31), a resident of Naxalbari in Darjeeling district, West Bengal, who was driving the car.
Why is Purna Kumar Tamang under scrutiny?
Tamang could not produce any bills, invoices, or documentation proving lawful acquisition of the three diamonds. He also has a complex travel profile — born in Hong Kong, holding Nepali citizenship and a Hong Kong permanent resident card — and had been in Sikkim for nearly a month after entering India on 21 June 2026.
Where has the case been transferred for further action?
Both individuals, the three diamonds, and the vehicle have been handed over to the Customs Office in Panitanki for further investigation and legal proceedings.
Is this an isolated incident on the India–Nepal border?
No. A day before this seizure, two Sikkim residents were caught at the same border corridor carrying ₹9.74 lakh in unaccounted Indian currency while travelling to Nepal, suggesting a broader pattern of smuggling activity on this route.
