Kathmandu - Customs authority have seized motorcycles imported from China by SLR Techno and Trade after the company failed to complete the required inspection within the given timeframe.

The Motorhead-brand bikes were confiscated following repeated public notices that went unheeded by the importer.

Despite several warnings, SLR did not respond, prompting the Integrated Customs Checkpoint Office to proceed with the seizure.

As per legal provisions, the government can use seized vehicles. Based on this, the customs office decided to hand over 53 motorcycles to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which has already initiated the registration process.

The motorcycles were imported for commercial use under a Letter of Credit (LC), but the reason for the failure to complete inspection remains unclear.

 When contacted, Sugam Ghimire, director of SG Group—SLR’s parent company—declined to comment.

Following the seizure, the Ministry of Home Affairs requested detailed information on the 53 motorcycles, including engine and chassis numbers. This request was made in the second week of Ashar (late June), and once the data was received, the registration process began through the Department of Transport Management.

According to customs official, the importer had been asked nearly a year ago to clear the inspection process. When the company failed to comply, the bikes were officially seized.

Motorhead motorcycles, available in six models in Nepal, range in engine capacity from 150cc to 250cc.

As of 2022, prices ranged from NPR 310,000 to Rs 495,000.

The 53 motorcycles handed to the Ministry are all 250cc models, each valued at Rs 495,000. Their total estimated market value is Rs 26.24 million.

SLR Techno and Trade operates under SG Group, owned by businessman Shiva Prasad Ghimire.