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Last Updated: December 06, 2023, 13:36 IST
A soldier from the Brigade of Gurkhas holds his Kukri knife during a passing out ceremony at Catterick Garrison near Richmond, Britain, November 23, 2023. (Reuters)
Nepal detains 10 in illegal recruitment scam, charging hefty fees for fake travel visas to send youths to the Russian army
As many as 10 people have been detained in Nepal by the police, who are accused of charging unemployed youths a large sum of money for travel visas and then sending them for illegal recruitment into the Russian army.
This report comes after Kathmandu asked Moscow this week not to recruit its citizens into the Russian army, and to send any Nepali soldier in its armed forces back to the country after six of its citizens fighting in the Ukraine conflict were killed.
Kathmandu District Police Chief Bhupendra Khatri said 10 people were in police custody after being detained over the past few days following tip-offs. “We are discussing with the government lawyers about the case and will produce them to the court,” Khatri told Reuters.
Sent to Russia via UAE
Khatri said the detainees illegally charged each person up to USD 9,000 and sent them to Russia on “visit (tourist) visas”, mainly through the UAE. They were then recruited into the Russian army. “It is a case of human smuggling … organised crime,” Khatri added.
Nepal, the small Himalayan nation that lies between India and China, has asked Russia, which has been engaged in a war against Ukraine since February last year, to compensate the families of the Nepali citizens killed.
Nepali soldiers, called Gurkhas, are known for their bravery and fighting skills and have been serving the British and Indian armies after the independence of India in 1947 under an agreement among the three countries.
However, there is no such agreement with Russia. Millions of Nepalis are employed in civilian work – mainly as labourers in industries and construction in Asia and the Middle East.
(With agency inputs)
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