Kathmandu-The luxury British car manufacturer Jaguar’s I-Pace electric vehicle has recently been imported into Nepal under circumstances that raise legal and regulatory concerns.

The vehicle, imported by KarKab Gear Pvt Ltd, was found to have already been registered in the United Kingdom and arrived with a UK number plate despite being declared and marketed as a brand new vehicle in Nepal.

Nepali law permits the import of only new vehicles. Evidence shows that the Jaguar I-Pace brought by KarKab was previously sold and registered in the UK. One such vehicle carries registration number KN25 NZG, which indicates registration in the Milton Keynes area. In the UK system, the first two letters identify the registration region, while the number 25 indicates registration between March and August 2025. This confirms that the vehicle had entered public use records before being imported.

Two Jaguar I-Pace vehicles seen at the Chobhar Dry Port Customs Office bore UK registration numbers KP25 AJX and KN25 NZG. Such plates are issued only after a vehicle has been registered and sold in the UK market.

The Economic Act prohibits the import of reconditioned, used, or emission non compliant vehicles. The presence of UK number plates raises serious questions about how these vehicles cleared customs.

The vehicles may have been purchased as second hand or reconditioned units. There is also speculation that the vehicles could be stolen. Even in that case, they would legally qualify as second hand vehicles and remain ineligible for import under Nepali law.

Pricing details raise further concerns.

Jaguar stopped producing vehicles in early 2024 and has not appointed any official dealer in Nepal, a fact confirmed by the company in a response to biznessnews. Despite this, KarKab imported the I-Pace nearly one and a half years after production ended and declared it at a significantly lower value.

The Jaguar I-Pace had a starting price of 69,995 pounds in the UK. However, KarKab declared a customs value of only 34,907.80 pounds in Nepal, including freight and insurance. This suggests the vehicle itself may have been purchased for around 25,000 pounds, indicating either import of a second hand vehicle or possible under invoicing.

KarKab claims the vehicle was imported from Austria. Customs records show the vehicle was cleared on January 13, 2026. Typically, vehicles imported from third countries are cleared through Birgunj Customs. Choosing Chobhar for clearance has raised additional suspicion.

KarKab is owned by Kishor Bade Shrestha, who previously operated firms that served as official dealers for Jaguar Land Rover until 2016. Despite Jaguar halting production in 2024, KarKab obtained agency registration from the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection, raising questions about regulatory oversight and documentation credibility.