Nepal embassy expresses gratitude to UP govt for rescuing 453 nationals in Kushinagar fraud racket

Lucknow: The Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi has expressed gratitude to the Uttar Pradesh govt for rescuing 453 Nepalese nationals, including 115 women and 338 men, who were allegedly trapped in a sophisticated networking fraud and labour exploitation racket operating in Kushinagar district.

The embassy, on its official X handle, posted a letter in Nepalese language thanking UP govt and police.

In the letter, the embassy said the victims were lured from Nepal through social media platforms and online advertisements with promises of lucrative jobs, educational opportunities and high earnings through marketing and networking schemes.

The embassy also confirmed that 19 suspects, including six women, have been detained by Nepal Police for questioning in connection with the racket. It urged citizens to remain vigilant against fraudulent overseas employment offers and suspicious networking schemes.

Superintendent of police Keshav Kumar, who supervised and led the operation, said police received repeated inputs that a group of Nepalese nationals was operating from rented buildings in Kushinagar and targeting vulnerable people in Nepal.

To verify the information without alerting the suspects, police first conducted a discreet reconnaissance operation. Officers were deployed as decoys, posing as electricians inspecting electrical load and wiring in the buildings. This covert exercise allowed investigators to assess activities inside the premises and gather crucial evidence without raising suspicion, an officer privy to the probe added.

Based on the findings, a case was registered at Kasya police station, and multiple teams were formed to investigate the operation. On May 31, a joint team comprising Kasya Police, the district Surveillance Cell, Kushinagar SWAT Team and the STF's Gorakhpur Unit conducted coordinated raids and arrested 10 accused, including eight men and two women.

Police later uncovered what they described as an organised cross-border fraud network that allegedly used forged documents, fake assurances and deceptive marketing schemes to exploit economically vulnerable Nepalese citizens.