Kathmandu, 23 Nov: A notice arrived at the Department of Immigration stating that a group of Chinese nationals had been working in Kathmandu in violation of their visa terms.
After further verifying the information, the Immigration Department located the group. They were found living in a house in Mhepi, a little further from Sorhakhutte. On Ashwin 28, an immigration team reached the house to conduct a search. Even though the immigration officers, accompanied by the police, repeatedly requested them to open the door, the Chinese group refused to do so for a long time. Only after about 15 minutes did they finally open the door.
When the team entered, they found four Chinese nationals along with four Nepali young women in the room. According to one immigration officer, the Chinese individuals had contacted the Nepali women by showing various temptations, even luring them with promises of taking them to China.
The four arrested Chinese nationals were brought to the Immigration Department office for investigation. They are still in the custody of the department. The process of taking statements from them is ongoing, according to the department’s Director General, Ram Chandra Tiwari.
It was found that the Chinese currently in custody had entered Kathmandu on business visas. However, they appeared to be doing no business at all. Since they were found residing and working against the visa terms, they are being investigated for this offense, said the department’s director and spokesperson, Tika Ram Dhakal.
“They seem to have come on business visas, but we don’t see any business activities from them,” Dhakal told Onlinekhabar.
How this group managed to obtain business visas in the first place also appears suspicious. To receive a business visa, one must disclose details about the planned investment, the company, the nature of the business, and other related information.
However, during questioning, the arrested individuals could not provide any details about these matters, though their visas clearly stated business purposes. One of the Chinese women claimed she worked in fashion design, but no such work or company was found.
“Lured more than 100 women with marriage and sent them to China”
At the time of arrest, the four Chinese nationals were found together with four Nepali young women. According to an investigating officer, their contact with Nepali women was motivated by the intention to send them to China.
They would first make contact with Nepali women, chat with them on social media, and record screenshots of their video conversations. These screenshots and videos were then sent to Chinese men living in China.
If the Chinese man liked the woman and said “okay,” the group would then connect the two, arrange contact, and ultimately facilitate marriage, sending the Nepali woman to China.
The department had received information that more than one hundred Nepali women were taken to China through this method. Based on this intelligence, the Department of Immigration had requested the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office to investigate.
Although the Crime Investigation Office had initiated some investigation, not a single complaint has been filed so far. Since no formal complaint was lodged, the department is now proceeding to take action against the Chinese nationals under immigration law and deport them.
