Sukra Tamang, once a notorious criminal heading an organized gang in the capital, and Bideshi Shah, another criminal in the industrial city of Birgunj, have been identified as kingpins of an extortion ring. [break]
Tamang, who was shifted to Birgunj jail reportedly for his ´untoward´ activities some eight months ago, is said to have collaborated with Shah in extorting construction entrepreneurs mainly in the capital and Birgunj.
Both Tamang and Shah are serving their respective sentences for murder. A special investigation squad headed by Inspector Somendra Singh Rathoor of Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) recently arrested a major aide of the ring, Bimal Lama, 23, of Birgunj Municipality.
According to investigative officials, the ring has extorted at least a dozen construction entrepreneurs in the capital and many more in Birgunj. Almost every central committee member of Nepal Construction Entrepreneurs Association had been under constant threats from the ring, officials said.
“They are found to have demanded up to Rs 10 million from each contractor. We also found that some of the contractors have already coughed up as much as one million rupees to avert the danger,” said officials.
Tamang, 23, of Dhanusha, and Shah, 32, of Parsa, had ganged up to extort construction entrepreneurs after the former entered the Birgunj jail. Tamang also worked as a construction contractor even while he was involved in criminal activities in the capital.
Investigative officials said that Tamang ganged up with Shah as the latter had long been known for his cross-border criminal exploits.
They had employed one Bablu, 26, of Rakshoul, India, to issue threats to Nepali contractors using Nepali and Indian SIM-cards. Jakir Hussain, 31, of Parwanipur in Parsa, another member of the ring collected extortion money. Both Bablu and Hussain are at large.
Tamang was arrested two years ago while he had been absconding after he fled the jail. Investigative officials said that he had been rebuilding his own ring in the capital after he was shifted to Birgunj jail.
“We are hunting down other members of the ring in the capital,” said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rana Bahadur Chand, MPCD chief.
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