The Rasuwa Customs Office cleared 50 BYD Dolphin cars, 50 AC/DC chargers, and 50 SIM cards on May 23, 2025, under declaration number 6709. The office processed all items through the red‑line channel, which is used for high‑risk or suspicious imports.
Customs officials in Kathmandu said BYD electric cars have begun to face red‑line checks after signs of irregularities in recent shipments. The shift follows concerns about how the vehicles and related parts are being imported.
Saimex Inc., the official BYD distributor for Nepal, has been under scrutiny for its import practices. The company has long faced criticism for high repair charges. Now, customs officials say Saimex has also been bringing in active SIM cards from China without proper approval.
Saimex imports BYD electric cars and spare parts from China. In the past, these shipments passed through the green‑line channel, which is reserved for low‑risk goods from companies with clean records. Recent checks show most BYD cars now fall under the red‑line, with a smaller number processed through the yellow‑line, which flags items for closer review.
Customs officers said green‑line clearance is given only to companies that avoid tax evasion, use legal channels, and show no suspicious activity. Yellow‑line goods fall under doubt and face random inspections. Red‑line goods undergo full inspection due to higher risk of tax evasion or smuggling.
Officials said BYD vehicles have now entered the red‑line category after repeated issues. Saimex has been caught several times bringing 50 to 100 chargers and toolboxes inside a single car, even though each vehicle should contain only one charger and one toolbox. Customs has seized and auctioned these extra items multiple times.
Nepal’s customs system uses three clearance lanes—green, yellow, and red—to manage imports. Green‑line goods face minimal checks. Yellow‑line goods face regular inspections. Red‑line goods undergo full verification, and the companies involved are monitored throughout the year. Customs also sends selected documents from these companies to inspection offices for further review.
A customs declaration from Mustang shows that Saimex cleared 25 Sealion 7 electric cars through the red‑line on September 28, 2025.
The latest Rasuwa declaration confirms that 50 BYD Dolphin cars, 50 AC/DC chargers, and 50 SIM cards were cleared through the red‑line on May 23, 2025.
Customs officials say Saimex has been importing active China Mobile Hong Kong SIM cards by using a third party’s GSM device import permit. The company has been paying an unusually high price—2,300 Chinese yuan per SIM card—raising further questions about the nature of the imports.
