‘Cambodia Connection’: Attempt to Operate Fraud Center in Nepal Leads to Arrest of 19 Individuals
Foreign nationals preparing to operate ‘fraud centers’ similar to those in Cambodia and Myanmar have been arrested in Kathmandu, police reported. On Friday, police apprehended 15 Bangladeshi and 4 Indian citizens in Thamel, a major tourist area in Kathmandu, and an investigation is ongoing. According to the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, preliminary inquiries revealed that these individuals were working at a ‘fraud center’ run by a Chinese national. “The Chinese operator is currently absconding. We are searching for the mastermind,” said Police Superintendent Rameshwar Karki, spokesperson for the Crime Investigation Office.
Police stated that most of the arrested Bangladeshis had previously been working in Cambodia. During their statements, they revealed that a known Chinese citizen from Cambodia brought them to Nepal. Since January, Cambodia has repatriated over 10,000 foreign nationals suspected of working in fraud centers by April. In January, Cambodia handed over Chen Zhi, who was involved in scamming and cryptocurrency frauds, to China. Chen had been accused by countries including the US and UK of running scam centers and was arrested in China.
Myanmar is also in the process of shutting down fraud centers with the assistance of countries including China. Previously, many Nepalese nationals working in fraud centers in Myanmar and Cambodia faced difficulties. Following the death of Ram Prasad Adhikari from Surkhet, who worked in a Cambodian scam center last September, it took months for his family to repatriate his body to Nepal. According to the Nepalese Embassy in Bangkok, 9,676 Nepalese tourists visited Cambodia in 2025 alone.
On Friday, the Nepalese Embassy issued a notice stating that through the Nepalese government’s efforts, Cambodia has waived fines for 602 Nepalese nationals who overstayed their visas. According to Ambassador Dhan Bahadur Oli in Bangkok, this is the eighth phase of waiver. “The embassy has urged them to return home immediately, and we are tracking who has returned,” Oli said. The Nepalese embassy in Thailand reported that it has rescued and repatriated over 100 Nepalese from Cambodia and more than 150 from Myanmar.
Officials suspect attempts to establish such centers within Nepal. Nepal Police Information Officer Dipshamsher Jabara said that until now, Nepal has not had such large ‘fraud compounds’ like those in Cambodia and Myanmar. “However, active international cybercrime groups operating in those countries are recruiting Nepalese citizens, using Nepal as a transit or supportive base, and there is an increased risk of online scams, crypto trading fraud, phishing, social media scams, and digital financial crimes within Nepal,” Jabara explained.
Police have acted against covertly operating cyber scam centers and are coordinating investigations and rescue operations with Interpol and foreign embassies. According to the Crime Investigation Office spokesperson Karki, those arrested in Thamel were found to use economic fraud methods. “They were blackmailing by sending women’s nude photos on social media,” Karki noted. “They pressured victims to send money afterward.”
Initial investigations indicated their primary targets for fraud were Indian and Bangladeshi citizens, police said. The 19 individuals arrested have been sent to the immigration department for further action. Police stated that the absconding Chinese national rented a hotel in Thamel for the ‘fraud center.’ The hotel was rented under an agreement to pay over NPR 700,000 monthly to the hotel owner. Computers, mobile phones, and other equipment were seized from the location.
Among those arrested are two Chinese, two Indians, and sixteen Nepalese women. “They used new apps to conduct video calls, after which money was transferred to accounts with a scam technique,” Karki revealed. Recently, foreign nationals have been increasingly involved in various crimes, prompting police to advise the public to inquire about the purpose of office rentals from landlords.
Last year in Asar (June-July), the Central Investigation Bureau arrested 52 people, including six Chinese nationals, for operating offices related to dating apps and crypto transactions in two areas of Kathmandu.
Police also reported arresting 43 foreign women in Kathmandu’s Thamel area on charges of involvement in ‘obscene activities’ and prostitution. According to District Police Headquarters Kathmandu spokesperson Pawan Kumar Bhatta, 22 have been deported while investigations continue for the remaining 21. “They were found residing in Nepal after their visa had expired, and have been handed over for action under immigration laws,” Bhatta stated.
