Eleven Hostages Rescued from US Visa Scam in Nepal; Ten Arrested

Nepali authorities have arrested ten individuals involved in a human trafficking scheme that preyed on Indian citizens. The group allegedly lured victims with false promises of facilitating their migration to the United States, ultimately holding them hostage in Kathmandu.

The operation, led by Kathmandu Police Range, culminated in the successful rescue of eleven Indian nationals who were being held captive. The arrested individuals include eight Indian nationals and two Nepali citizens, identified as:

Indian Nationals: Abdul Rahim (54), Ravi Miwde (30), Charanjit Singh (42), Manish Kumar Malhotra (47), Ashok Kumar, Nipun Gupta (51), Indusingh Yadav (58), and Ramchandra Sharma (48).

Nepali Citizens: Mohammad Sawir Mia (52) and Lakshman Giri (25).

According to Senior Superintendent of Police Bhupendra Khatri, the group lured victims with the promise of US visas for a hefty sum, ranging from 40 million to 45 million Indian rupees per person. The rescued individuals, identified as Guruninder Singh, Suwas Kunwar, Bhupendra Singh, Pratik, Manbir Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Rakesh Kumar, Ashis Kumar, and Gurpreet Singh, were held captive in Kathmandu’s Ratopul area.

Authorities conducted a raid, successfully rescuing the hostages and apprehending the perpetrators. During the operation, various incriminating evidence was seized, including passports, foreign currencies, fake boarding passes, laptops, fake rubber stamps, torture instruments, and other documents used in the scam.

The arrested individuals are currently detained and face charges under the  National Penal (Code) Act, 2017  for kidnapping and hostage-taking. Further investigations are underway to unravel the extent of the operation and identify any potential accomplices.