Kathmandu, Oct. 13 -- Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Krishna Bahadur Mahara was re-arrested on Sunday in connection with a gold smuggling case involving electronic cigarettes, popularly known as vapes.

According to police, Mahara was taken into custody in Kathmandu after investigators found evidence linking him and his son, Rahul Mahara, with two Chinese nationals-Li Hansong, who allegedly imported gold into the country concealed inside vape devices, and Daojin Wang, who operated the smuggling network from within Nepal.

The investigation into this case had previously stalled due to Mahara's political influence, delaying legal action despite evidence linking him to the scheme.

Recently appointed Home Minister Om Prakash ...