Honey trap gang busted, two held

Kathmandu, June 18

The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police has busted a ‘honey trap’ gang that had been kidnapping people for ransom and arrested two of its members, including a teenage girl, who lured men into dangerous situation.

SP Meera Chaudhary said the modus operandi of the kidnapping racket came to the fore after the arrest of Kol Bahadur Thapa Magar, 31, of Ramechhap and Ashika Pariyar aka Saru KC, 19, of Dang from their rented room in Battisputali on Friday. The racket operated by Komananda Khadka, 31, of Dang and Nabin Kumar Rai, 31, of Bhojpur, who are serving time in Lalitpur-based Nakhkhu jail, were found to be using the girl to lure their target into their trap for ransom. Khadka has already served 10 years’ imprisonment in a murder case.

Khadka and Rai were apprehended on January 23 and sent to jail in connection with multiple kidnapping and hostage-taking charges. The prison was no more a bar for them to perpetrate crimes as they could get the work done through their accomplices.

The gang hired Pariyar with a promise of hefty cash and would ask her to make repeated calls to different people to lure them into honey trap for the past few years. Unsuspecting victims then slowly got into the trap, ultimately accepting the girl’s proposal to go on a date with her in a room where the gang took them under control and held him captive one by one.

SP Chaudhary said the gang would demand ransom for the victim’s ‘safe release’. In some cases, the victims were thrashed to make them give ransom. They were involved in kidnapping an employee of US Embassy in Nepal, a construction entrepreneur of Sindhuli, a businessman of New Road and a transport entrepreneur of Sindhupalchowk over a period of one year.

The gang members also masqueraded as CIB officials and handcuffed the victims to terrorise them. SP Chaudhary said investigation into the case was under way to crack other kidnapping rackets.