The vehicles were officially handed over to the importing representatives on Sunday evening, according to Bheshraj Giri, Deputy Superintendent of the Armed Police Force (APF).
Timeline of the Border Standoff
The luxury EV shipment faced heavy scrutiny over a two-week period due to suspected bureaucratic discrepancies:
- Late May – Early June: A massive fleet of 775 electric vehicles, purchased from China by Simon Electric, crossed into Nepal via the Korala checkpoint.
- Customs Clearance: The Mustang Customs Office in Nechung successfully processed and cleared 649 of the incoming vehicles.
- The Seizure: Suspecting irregularities in the valuation and import procedures, APF Nepal's Company 33 intervened and took the vehicles under their control, halting their transit down the Mustang corridor.
Government Probe Clears Importing Company
To resolve the high-stakes border gridlock, the Ministry of Finance stepped in and formed a three-member investigative committee.
Led by Bhupal Raj Shakya, Chief of the Evaluation Section under the Department of Customs' Policy and Operations Division, the team conducted a swift, on-site investigation in Mustang. The committee’s preliminary report concluded that no irregularities or illegal procedures had taken place during the import process.
Following the investigation’s green light, authorities moved quickly on Sunday to release the remaining vehicles, clearing the way for the BYD fleet to finally enter the domestic Nepali market.
