'Operation Dunki': Nepal Police Rescues 11 Indian Hostages, Busts Trafficking Racket

Eleven Indian nationals, mostly students, who had been held hostage for more than two weeks, were rescued after Nepal police busted a human trafficking ring and arrested eight Indian mafia members.

Nepal police on Thursday dismantled a human trafficking racket, rescuing eleven Indian nationals, primarily students, who had been held hostage for over two weeks. The operation, named 'Operation Dunki' by Nepal police, targeted a trafficking network that lured victims with promises of facilitating travel to the USA. Eight Indian mafia members, along with their Nepali accomplice, were arrested in the course of the operation.

The hostages, hailing from the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana, were confined in a rented house on the outskirts of Kathmandu for an extended period, news agency PTI reported citing police sources.

As per the report, the Kathmandu District Police Range initiated the operation on Wednesday night, conducting a raid on a private residence in Dhobikhola Corridor, Ratopul, following a tip-off. The 11 Indian nationals were rescued from captivity, where they had been falsely promised transit to the USA via Mexico.

The traffickers, including the Indian mafia members, charged each victim Rs 4.5 million under the pretext of facilitating their journey to the USA, according to PTI. Additionally, upon arrival in Kathmandu, an extra USD 3,000 was levied as a visa fee, revealed District Police Chief Senior Superintendent of Police Bhupendra Bahadur Khatri during a press conference.

Khatri stated that each accused individual would face charges under Nepalese law for abduction, hostage-taking, and human trafficking. Furthermore, a Nepali accomplice, aiding in logistical support, was also apprehended, as per the report. 

According to PTI, the freed Indian nationals are currently accommodated in a Kathmandu hotel, with Nepal Police coordinating their return to India in collaboration with the Indian Embassy, Foreign Ministry, and relevant authorities, Khatri affirmed.

During their captivity of over two weeks, the hostages endured mental and physical torment, threats, and confinement in locked rooms. 

"Some of us were told, on a knife-point, to contact our family in India to assure them that we were safe and on the way to the USA," one of the rescued persons was quoted as saying by PTI. 

Investigations revealed that all documents, including visas and boarding passes, were forged. The police recovered victims' passports along with fake rubber stamps and other forged documents from the site, according to the PTI report.