Dubai, February 5:

Around 12 Nepalis, including the gang, involved in human smuggling were arrested in Dubai. Migrant Nepali workers helped in their arrest.

The gang lured many innocent Nepali villagers and made illegal arrangements for jobs in countries that the Government of Nepal has restricted passage to.

The arrested have been identified as Damodar Giri of Gorkha, Shankar Bogati, Bishnu Pandey and Rajan Khatiwada of Chitwan, Tej Acharya and Narendra Poudel of Jhapa, Tek Raj Bhandari, Krishna Acharya and Kumar Budhathoki of Kathmandu, Indra Kafle, Indra Thapa and others.

Giri has admitted that he sent more than 100 Nepali workers to the banned countries including Iraq and Afghanistan. Bogati confessed that he sent some 250 Nepalis to Iraq. They were seized by Jana Pragati Manch, Dubai, and handed over to the police.

According to information provided during a press conference at Everest International Hotel here, Bishnu Lamsal, the investor of Hello Nepal programme broadcast by Nepal Television, also aided them in sending Nepali workers to Iraq.

Giri also said that they were involved in sending workers from Sri Lanka and India to Iraq. “Indian, Egyptian, Filipino and British agents as well as Tek Raj Bhandari, a Nepali in Iraq, helped us in the human smuggling,” he said.

Lok Bahadur Bhujel and Bibek Adhikari of Pokhara, Ganga Bahadur Rimal of Chitwan, Rabin Khadka of Nuwakot, Narayan Nanda Puri of Biratnagar and dozens of others have fallen victim to the human smugglers.

The victims told the police that they had paid the gang Rs 2,50,000 each for the passage to Iraq.