KATHMANDU, May 13: The Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office (KVCIO) of Nepal Police has disclosed the identities of three additional individuals arrested on charges of human trafficking for enticing victims with promises of immigration to USA and Canada.
The arrested individuals are 48-year-old Jagat Bahadur Tamang from Okhaldhunga, 46-year-old Bishnu Bahadur Barali and 48-year-old Junga Bahadur BK from Tanahun.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Rabindra Regmi disclosed that the arrests occurred near Gaddachauki in Kanchanpur on Sunday.
Girls held hostage and raped for nine days
According to SP Regmi, 47-year-old Tashi Sherpa of Bhotekoshi, Ngimbuti Sherpa from Karnathali and 19-year-old Neema Sherpa from Jugal, Sindhupalchowk, who were arrested earlier in connection with the same case, were operating as agents in organized human trafficking.
On Friday, the arrests were made after 10 Nepalis, who had attempted to travel to the USA via illegal routes, returned home from Kenya, where they had been held hostage for nine months.
According to SSP Sanuram Bhattarai, preliminary investigations showed that the gang had collected up to Rs 55 million from the victims with the promise of sending them to America. But, instead, the victims were held hostages in Kenya.
SSP Bhattarai stated that the suspects are believed to have taken 17 more Nepalis hostage in various countries with the intention of sending them to Canada and America.
Police alleged that these fraudulent activities were organized while the perpetrators were residing in New Delhi, India.
