KATHMANDU: Nepal Police has arrested 52 individuals, including six Chinese nationals, for their involvement in illegal cryptocurrency trading activities.

Those arrested include Zhang Lun, Chen Jihao, Lin De, Su Zheng, Liu Zheyun, and Zhu Linghu—all from Guangdong Province, China.

According to Superintendent of Police Yubaraj Khadka of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), the arrests were made after it was found that the suspects were illegally engaged in running a dating app and crypto transactions in Nepal.

The suspects had rented a house in Damkal Chowk, Ward 4 of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, and registered a company named Social Software Development Pvt. Ltd. to operate a call center and a dating application named Meto without legal authorization.

Additionally, they operated a branch office from a rented house in Chagal, Kathmandu-13, where they reportedly lured Nepali women into participating in crypto transactions, according to the police.

Authorities have seized a total of Rs. 1,399,950 in cash, the source of which remains unverified.

Legal proceedings have begun against the six Chinese nationals under the Electronic Currency (Virtual Asset) offense, while further investigation is ongoing against the remaining 46 individuals.