KATHMANDU, Jan 29: Morang police on Tuesday apprehended five people involved in an online fraud scheme that defrauded Rs 6.667 million from victims by promising foreign employment opportunities in Canada.
The accused used social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Viber to lure victims with fake advertisements, claiming to provide lucrative jobs abroad. The victims, Mahesh Kumar Chaudhary and his son Yupesh Kumar Chaudhary of Biratnagar, filed a complaint stating they were contacted via WhatsApp using foreign mobile numbers and were persuaded to deposit the money in exchange for visa-related documents.
Those arrested include Keshav Yadav, 23, from Araria District, India; Rohit Kumar Paswan, 22, from Katahari Rural Municipality, Morang; Amit Rai, alias Karan, 23, from Biratnagar Metropolitan Municipality, Morang; Buddha Narayan Mallah,30, from Katahari Rural Municipality, Morang; and Bodhraj Rajbashi, 25, from Pathari Sanischare Municipality, Morang. Preliminary investigations revealed that Keshav Yadav played a central role in the operation, recruiting others to open digital wallets and bank accounts on platforms like eSewa and Khalti. Yadav then accessed these accounts and passwords to facilitate fraudulent transactions.
The arrests followed an operation conducted by the District Police Office, Morang, on January 22, 2025. The Morang District Court has extended the detention period for five days to allow further investigation into the case.