Kathmandu, May 5

A woman approached the Metropolitan Police Crime Division last week to request the law enforcement agency to rescue her husband, who was stranded in Qatar.

A complaint lodged with the MPCD read that Bishu Adhikari of Khimti-7, Ramechhap was not provided the job and salary as promised by the manpower agency, and hence was living without food and accommodation for many weeks.

He had flown to Qatar with work permit on February 2 last year.

Acting on the complaint, SSP Sarbendra Khanal, MPCD in-charge, and his team maintained contact with the Embassy of Nepal in Qatar, and other national and international agencies to rescue Adhikari.

He was brought home yesterday.

The MPCD, supported by non-profit international organisations, has stepped up efforts to prevent human trafficking and identify, rescue and rehabilitate the victims at home and abroad. Just a few days ago, it rescued a woman of Rasuwa from Malaysia.

Bearing in mind the problems, the MPCD has also set up a hotline (1177) to collect information about human trafficking and Nepalis stranded in foreign countries.

This toll-free number receives an average of 30 calls daily. However, the caller should dial 9771177 while making a call from abroad.

Victims or informers can contact and give information or inputs that lead to the arrest of perpetrators and rescue

of foreign employment victims from any part of the world. Victims or any person who have information about such crime may also dial 4269741. “Provide us with genuine information.

We are ready for action,” assured SSP Khanal.

The MPCD has already rescued at least 65 victims from home and abroad in the past four months. “We are in the process of rescuing more than 300, mostly women, who are living a hellish life in foreign countries.

Police alone cannot carry out such an arduous task. We focus on preventive measures and rescue of the victims,” he said.

The government does not have exact data as to how many Nepalis are awaiting rescue in foreign countries.