Kathmandu, June 28:

Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) has arrested two persons including a Filipino woman from Bhatbhateni on the charge cheating people by providing them with fake American visa.

The MPCD said they arrested Shankar Dahal, 34, of Sunsari and his wife Filipino national Kristina Patinio a few days ago. They were arrested on a tip-off from the American embassy.

The police seized photocopy of fake American visa, fake letter pads, demand letters and contract papers of several companies like Inter Continental and The Barley. Bhola Dahal, of Sunsari, who was also involved in the business, has been absconding.

“They were running the shady business through Channel Educational Foundation (CEI) at Lazimpat. They are learnt to have charged Rs 700,000 each for the fake American visas and most of the victims were college students,” the police said.

The police also claimed that the accused had already shut the CEI but continued the shady business by opening another consultancy firm — Horizon Educational Consultancy.