Police on Wednesday nabbed a fraudster who had been absconding after taking money from three people on the pretext of sending them abroad for jobs nine years ago.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrest ed Raj Kumar Maharjan, 39, for duping over a dozen people, including Ishak Tamang. According to DSP Krishna Kumar Mahat, Maharjan had collected millions of rupees promising people that he would send them to the US on work visas. Based on an intelligence input, he was arrest ed by a CIB team from Old Banseshwor.

Following a case lodged by Tamang and his friends, the Kathmandu District Court (KDC) on May 23, 2003 had convicted him and slapped a 11-month prison term along with the confiscation of property worth Rs 232,000.

During their investigation process police had found 13 duplicate visa stickers along with 20 passports from Maharjan’s aide Sonam Lama. He was presented before the KDC on Wednesday before taking him into the custody. Maharjan is a permanent residence of Kathmandu Metropolitan City-9.

Meanwhile, another CIB team arrest ed two persons with a musk pod on Monday. The arrest ees are Rajbhai Munakarmi-42 and Shanker Bahadur Karki, 39, from Koteshwor. The duo was caught while they were trying to sell the musk pod, bought by Karki from Munakarmi.

DSP Mahat informed that most traders, dealing in selling body parts of endangered wild animals, prefer to operate from the Capital as chances of finding moneyed clients are higher. A musk pod fetches racketeers up to Rs 20,000 per tola. It is used in beauty products and for the treatment of heart diseases.

Following their arrest , both of them have been handed over to the Kathmandu District Forest Office to book them under the Wildlife Conservation Act. They will be liable to a jail term of up to 15 years or a fine of up to Rs 100,000 or both, if convicted.

Published on: 13 December 2012 | The Kathmandu Post