453 Nepalese youths rescued from job scam, illegal training network in UP; 8 arrested

LUCKNOW: In a joint operation involving police, intelligence, and administrative agencies, authorities rescued 453 Nepalese youths, including young men and women, from an alleged job scam and illegal training network operating in Kushinagar district. Eight persons have been arrested in connection with the case, while the alleged mastermind remains absconding.The operation was launched after several victims contacted the Nepal Embassy in New Delhi through social media platform X, alleging that they had been lured to India on the promise of employment and overseas job opportunities but were instead confined and exploited.According to police, each victim was allegedly charged between Rs 70,000 and Rs 1 lakh on the pretext of providing professional training and job placement services. Many of them had reportedly been staying in Kushinagar since January while undergoing what was described as training for prospective jobs.Following the complaints, a team from the Nepal Embassy led by Ambika Joshi, SSP Pranesh Mall, and Sahara Chapa Gayatri visited Kushinagar and held meetings with district administration and police officials. Subsequently, a joint team comprising the Special Task Force (STF), Crime Branch, Special Operations Group (SOG), Surveillance Cell, and local police conducted raids at a facility operating under the name Vince Pyre World Company on Sapaha Road in Kasya town.However, by the time the teams reached the premises, the alleged operator had already fled after shutting down the centre.Kushinagar Superintendent of Police Keshav Kumar said investigators later traced the victims to several rented accommodations in the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Nagar area of Kasya."We rescued all 453 Nepalese nationals and arranged their transportation to the Sonauli border, where they were safely handed over to Nepal Police authorities," Kumar said.Based on a complaint lodged by police outpost in-charge Gaurav Srivastava, Kasya police registered an FIR against eight named accused and eight to ten unidentified persons on charges including cheating and other relevant offences.Those arrested have been identified as Deepak Thapa, Ganesh Khatri, Meena Therpa, Vishnu Rana, Soujanya Chantan, Vishal Tamang, Om Prakash Chawla and Om Prakash Sharma. The arrested include seven Nepalese nationals and one Indian citizen.The SP said the accused were allegedly operating from multiple locations in Kushinagar, including Fazilnagar Road, near Jain Building on Deoria Road, and an old-age home premises. According to investigators, an organized network of Nepalese men and women was functioning under the guise of institutes named Winspire Fashion Design and Royal Fashion Design Institute.Kumar alleged that the group lured Nepalese citizens to India by promising lucrative employment and business opportunities in India and abroad. After bringing them to Kushinagar, the accused allegedly collected money from the victims on the pretext of training programmes and guaranteed job placements.Police further alleged that the racket used forged documents purportedly linked to reputed companies and, in some cases, arranged Indian Aadhaar cards to gain the confidence of Nepalese nationals and draw them deeper into the network. The victims were then allegedly subjected to sustained financial exploitation.Officials said the accused projected themselves as influential individuals with strong connections in India and used Indian-registered vehicles and Indian mobile SIM cards to facilitate their operations and avoid suspicion."We have received information that some other Nepalese citizens linked to the network may still be present in Kasya. Search operations are continuing. We are also investigating whether any local individuals were involved in facilitating or supporting the network," the SP said.Police are now examining financial transactions, recruitment channels, document trails and possible cross-border links to determine the full extent of the alleged job scam and human exploitation network. Investigators are also probing the role of local facilitators and how hundreds of foreign nationals were brought to and accommodated in Kushinagar over several months without attracting attention from authorities.