KATHMANDU, Jan 6: Two individuals, who deceived people by promising hotel employment but sent them to the Russian army, have been apprehended.

Arjun Sunar, also known as Arjun Shrestha from Gorkha, and Sher Bahadur Rai, alias Shekhar Rai from Solukhumbu, were arrested on charge of sending Nepali nationals to the Russian army. They were operating Alaska Travels.

According to the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, they were detained on Thursday on the basis of a complaint filed by a victim upon returning from Russia. The accused sent three individuals, including Shankar Karki, to Russia, claiming the hotel offered lucrative salaries. They demanded Rs 600,000 each for sending youths to Russia.

Upon arrival, Shankar and others were coerced to pay an additional $800 per person to the agent, who then informed them they would be joining the army instead of working in a hotel. The agent insisted on initial training for army enlistment.

Shankar returned to Nepal and lodged a complaint with the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, asserting that he did not go there to join the army.

According to Superintendent of Police Rabindra Regmi, the information officer of the Kathmandu Valley Crime Office, Shankar and his companions were sent to Russia with forged educational documents. Regmi added that two others, Rajan Rai and Bikash Rai, who accompanied Shankar, were indeed recruited into the Russian army.

The accused individuals have been handed over to the District Police Range, Teku for necessary legal action regarding charges of human smuggling and fraud.

Earlier, police apprehended 12 members of the gang involved in sending Nepali citizens to the Russian army. Police revealed that the gang is extensive, and further investigations are underway.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that seven Nepalis recruited in the Russian army have died, while four are held Prisoner of War (PoW) by the Ukrainian army.

The government has suspended the issuance of work permits for the war-torn countries of Russia and Ukraine. The Department of Foreign Employment cited the need to minimize potential harm to Nepali citizens in these countries, announcing the suspension of work permits from Thursday until further notice.

Published on: 8 January 2024 | My Republica