Police reveal the identities of three more people arrested for taking Nepalis hostage in Kenya

KATHMANDU, May 13: Nepal Police’s Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office (KVCIO) has revealed the identities of three more people arrested on human trafficking charges for luring victims with the promise of immigration to the US and Canada .

Those arrested 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 said the arrests took place near Gaddachauki in Kanchanpur on Sunday.

According to SP Regmi, 47-year-old Tashi Sherpa from Bhotekoshi, Ngimbuti Sherpa from Karnathali and 19-year-old Neema Sherpa from Jugal, Sindhupalchowk, who were earlier arrested in connection with the same case, were acting as agents in organized human rights trafficking.

The arrests came Friday after 10 Nepalese who had attempted to enter the United States through illegal routes returned home from Kenya, where they had been held hostage for nine months.

According to SSP Sanuram Bhattarai, preliminary investigation revealed that the gang had collected up to Rs 55 million from the victims with the promise of sending them to America. Instead, the victims were held hostage in Kenya.

SSP Bhattarai said that the suspects were believed to have taken 17 other 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.