KATHMANDU: A man who allegedly defrauded at least 26 people, including taxi drivers and hoteliers, has been arrested from Kalanki of Kathmandu.

The Nepal Police’s Metropolitan Crime Division identified the suspect as 42-year-old Nirmal Jang Shahi of Surkhet.

Shahi is a serial con man who was convicted of fraud twice in the past and jailed for his crimes, police said, referring to their preliminary investigation.

He was held yesterday and handed over to the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu, for further investigation and action.

Police said that Shahi was jailed for two and half years 10 years ago. After getting released, he had returned to the con business and swindled several jewelers of gold ornaments in the Kathmandu Valley. He was convicted of the crime and sent to jail in 2009.

Shahi, who was released from the jail after doing time for seven years in July last year, would stay in guesthouses feigning that he returned from Canada or Australia.

After winning their confidence, he would borrow money from the guesthouse operators and taxi drivers, saying he ran short of Nepali currency but needed some money to clear customs for the goods that his kin sent to him from abroad.

Police said he swindled at least Rs 6,91,500 from 26 of his victims.