The incidence of crimes committed by Chinese citizens in Nepal is on the rise, indicating a worrisome trend of organized criminal activities involving individuals from China.
Over the past four years, a total of 837 Chinese individuals have been deported from Nepal due to their involvement in various illegal activities. Based on statistics from the Immigration Department, the deportations were as follows: 427 individuals in 2019, 226 individuals in 2020, 34 individuals in 2021, and 150 individuals in 2022, all found engaged in unlawful actions within the country.
According to the Nepal Police, Chinese nationals have recently become increasingly involved in online fraud activities within Nepal. In addition, there have been cases of Chinese individuals being apprehended for various other criminal offenses, including ATM fraud, gold and dollar smuggling, as well as illegal wildlife and human trafficking.
Over the past seven years, the recorded number of Chinese nationals engaged in criminal activities in Nepal has surpassed 1,500. Particularly concerning is their misuse of tourist visas to carry out these unlawful acts.
Just last month, the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office made a significant arrest, detaining nine Chinese nationals who were operating a fraudulent business. Their modus operandi involved deceiving people through WhatsApp messages, enticing them with promises of substantial profits through investments. To gain the trust of potential victims, the fraudsters presented opportunities to invest in an online shop for buying and selling goods, claiming potential earnings of up to 30 percent profit.
The authorities remain vigilant and committed to combatting such criminal activities carried out by foreign nationals within Nepal, aiming to safeguard the country’s integrity and protect its citizens from exploitation and fraud.
Following the trail of their deceptive messages, those involved in the fraudulent scheme had set up a website called “Operation Teacher” to carry out their operations. Once the website was live, they proceeded to teach their victims how to invest money. Initially, they would persuade individuals to invest 50,000 rupees, assuring them that their investments would yield returns. As people sent money for investment, the culprits received the funds.
Additionally, to further trap their victims, they provided some money for shipping goods from one location to another, all part of their elaborate ploy to gradually lure and extort money. Shockingly, some unfortunate individuals had fallen prey to this scheme and ended up investing as much as 12 lakh rupees.
As time went on, it became evident that there were no returns on these investments. However, instead of accepting responsibility for their fraudulent activities, the perpetrators went on to send messages to people, masquerading as fake police officers, claiming that their investments were illegal. These messages were intended to prevent victims from reporting the matter to the real police. Eventually, those who had invested realized they had been deceived.
As complaints regarding this scam reached the police, a thorough investigation was launched. This led to the arrest of nine individuals involved in the criminal network. The suspects apprehended were identified as Huang Huanrong, Chu Fuxiang, Lan Zhengwei, Jie Guo Yi, Jie Suwang Di, Gao Ming, Hou Ping Ving, Chen Dur Lin, and Li Jian Hong.
The police conducted a successful operation and apprehended the Chinese nationals involved in fraudulent activities at multiple locations in Kathmandu, including Budhanilkanth Mahadevkhola, Chapli, and Chandol. These criminals ran their illicit business by renting houses in these areas and operated by depositing fraudulent funds into accounts opened under the name of Nepali citizens. However, the masterminds behind these accounts were in complete control of the transactions.
During the investigation, the police discovered that a staggering amount of 1 crore 64 lakhs had been transacted from four accounts involved in the fraudulent scheme.
The police are now working diligently to bring justice to the victims and ensure that those responsible for perpetrating this elaborate fraud are held accountable for their actions.
Notably, four years prior, another incident had occurred where 122 Chinese nationals were arrested. The investigation revealed that these individuals were part of a mafia gang involved in illegal online gaming and various forms of fraud in Nepal.
The police investigation further unveiled that these criminals had initially entered Nepal on visit visas and subsequently engaged in illegal activities, setting up offices to execute their fraudulent operations. In a special operation led by the Central Investigation Bureau of Police and the then Metropolitan Police Complex of Kathmandu, they were arrested from locations like Budhanilkanth, Manmaiju, and Bansbari, with raids conducted on nine houses.
After these Chinese nationals were found to be involved in hacking the bank’s system, the police intensified their surveillance efforts. The subsequent arrests yielded a significant amount of incriminating evidence, including 747 mobile phones, 331 laptops, 98 CPUs, 99 monitors, 22 pen drives, 327 SIM cards, and 67 passports. Some individuals were found to possess 3 to 5 laptops each. The investigation further revealed that they had committed cybercrimes in other countries while residing in Nepal.
After the arrests, the 122 Chinese nationals were deported, and the immigration department imposed a fine of 1000 rupees on each of them before sending them back to their country. These individuals were also banned from entering Nepal for a period of four years, and their passports were blacklisted.
Interestingly, two chartered planes arranged by the Chinese Embassy in Nepal were dispatched to pick up the deported Chinese nationals. However, before their departure, the individuals were arrested and prosecuted for indecent behavior in Kathmandu. Despite the initial arrest for cybercrimes, the police claimed that the charges couldn’t be established, leading to their prosecution for indecent behavior. As a result, these criminals managed to evade serious consequences for their offenses committed in Nepal, escaping relatively unscathed.
The involvement of Chinese citizens in illicit activities within Nepal has persisted, with their engagement in various criminal endeavors showing an upward trend. The police investigation has revealed troubling aspects of their activities, including instances where some Chinese nationals entered Nepal without carrying their passports, demonstrating a disregard for the law.
One prominent aspect of their criminal conduct is related to online fraud, where they manipulated Nepali citizens to open bank accounts for them. Once these accounts were set up, they took control of the transactions using checks, signatures, and ATMs, with records indicating transactions of up to 10 million rupees.
Another criminal activity prevalent among the Chinese in Nepal is money laundering. Several Chinese nationals have been arrested with illegal money in the capital and various checkpoints. In one notable case, the police arrested four Chinese and one Nepali, recovering nearly four million rupees. The origin of this money was not disclosed, but it was suspected to have been obtained through illegal call centers and online gambling.
Instances of sexual crimes involving Chinese nationals have also been reported. In one case, a 49-year-old Chinese man, operating a company in Bungmati, Lalitpur, was arrested for sexually abusing minors through social media. He used social platforms to befriend minors, invited them to Kathmandu, and then subjected them to sexual exploitation.
The Chinese have also been involved in illegal activities such as gold smuggling. Nepal has become a major destination for illegal gold trading, with numerous incidents indicating the participation of Chinese nationals in the smuggling operations.
Violent disputes among Chinese nationals have also been reported. One such incident occurred in Kathmandu’s Indrachowk area, where a Chinese national attacked and injured two others with a knife following a financial dispute. The incident resulted in the death of one individual, while the other sustained serious injuries.
These criminal activities perpetrated by Chinese citizens have raised concerns about the complexity of the issue. Nepalese law enforcement authorities have encountered challenges in curbing these illegal operations and are striving to tackle the matter effectively. It is evident that, despite engaging in various legitimate businesses, some Chinese nationals continue to be involved in criminal and illicit activities in Nepal, warranting comprehensive measures to address the situation.