Kathmandu, June 5

Metropolitan Police Crime Division, in association with metropolitan police ranges and circles, has taken a set of measures to combat property crimes, including burglaries, pick-pocketing, robbery and snatching in Kathmandu valley.

According to MPCD, the ongoing campaign focuses on controlling thefts both during the day and at night in unattended houses and rooms in core city and beyond Ring Road areas. The special units deployed from MPCD are keeping vigil against and frisking the suspects in crowded areas, bus parks, marketplaces, solitary places, residential areas and business enterprises, among others.

In one week of the special campaign, 69 suspects were arrested. Of them, eight were charged with theft while investigation into 27 persons is under way, MPCD informed. Rest of the arrestees were released after screening and profiling.

Officials claimed that the cases of property crimes had declined following the implementation of anti-burglary measures.

According to statistics released by Metropolitan Police Office, as many as 521 cases of property crimes, mostly burglaries, were recorded in the valley in the fiscal 2016-17 compared to 404 so far this fiscal, which ends in mid-July.

Criminals have been making houses and rooms their soft target during office hours when the house owners and tenants leave their abode for daily work. Police said nearly 60 per cent of the crime took place in broad daylight in unattended houses and rented rooms of working families. The burglars usually make off with cash, and saleable goods like gold and electronic gadgets. Security officials said daytime burglaries would decrease only if house owners or tenants took care of their cash and valuables or put them in banks and did not leave their houses unattended.

Police have advised people to stay alert against more incidents of property crimes during the monsoon, an ideal time for burglars.

Crackdown on hundi business

KATHMANDU: Police have stepped up action against people involved in hundi business in Kathmandu valley.

Investigating officials said hundi is outlawed by Nepal Rastra Bank. After the arrest of seven suspects, including six Indian nationals, in possession Rs 5.1 million and bank cheques with a face value of approximately Rs 35 million from different places of Kathmandu on Monday, Metropolitan Police Crime Division has launched investigation into hundi transactions.

Those arrested by MPCD are Rahul Roy Agrawal, Shiva Kumar Sangtani, Arun Sawarthia, Ravindra Chokhani, Raj Kimar Singhanchi and Jadadish Rana Sariya of India and Raj Kumar Shrestha of Sindhupalchowk. They used to work for business organisations like Nepal Overseas Marketing Pvt Ltd, Elite Business Pvt Ltd, Sagtani Traders, Purna Laxmi Enterprises, and Binika Sale and Shine Marketing.

Hundi is an informal system for transferring money across borders. “They were using WhatsApp and WeChat messaging apps to stay in touch with their agents abroad. We have taken it seriously as some persons associated with reputed business enterprises were found involved in the illegal transactions,” MPCD statement read.