KATHMANDU, Dec 12: Police have arrested two individuals accused of trafficking Nepali citizens to Myanmar under the pretext of offering high-paying jobs in the IT and hospitality sectors, only to force them into cyber-scamming operations under harsh and inhumane conditions.
According to the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau of Nepal Police, the traffickers lured victims from various districts with promises of lucrative employment and transported them through India and Thailand to Mewadi, Myanmar.
Once in Myanmar, the victims were handed over to a company identified as KK1 Park, confined within a guarded compound, deprived of adequate food and shelter, and coerced into working in online fraud and cyber-scam activities.
Controlling cyber conflict
Recently, the Nepali Embassy in Thailand coordinated the return of 47 such victims, who subsequently registered two cases with authorities. Police arrested Ranjit Kumar Mahatto, 24, from Sarlahi district, on 10 December and secured a five-day remand from the Kathmandu District Court.
Maniraj Rai, 41, from Khotang district, was arrested the following day and remains in custody as investigations continue.
Preliminary investigations revealed that victims endured a 36-hour journey by car from Thailand to the KK1 Park compound in Myanmar. Upon arrival, they were informed that their work involved persuading foreigners to invest in cryptocurrency, manipulating online relationships, and carrying out other forms of fraud.
Trainees were given strict instructions on how to approach targets, respond in chats, and entice customers. Those who failed to meet daily targets faced severe punishment, including being forced to carry heavy water jars up and down stairs, beatings, electric shocks, confinement in dark rooms, and physically exhausting exercises. Victims wishing to leave were compelled to pay NPR 800,000, effectively holding them hostage, while workdays stretched up to 18 hours under continuous coercion.
The bureau noted that in previous fiscal years it had registered 16 similar cyber-scam–related cases, including operations in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, which were subsequently submitted to the Kathmandu District Court.
Investigations into the latest arrests are ongoing as authorities continue to probe organised human-trafficking networks exploiting Nepalis for online fraud abroad.
