KATHMANDU: Five individuals have been arrested on charges of swindling job seekers by promising high-paying employment in various foreign countries.

According to the Central Police News Desk, the arrested suspects have been identified as 36-year-old Kunsang Lama of Sindhuli, 42-year-old Dhan Bahadur Shahi of Bardiya, Umesh Limbu of Taplejung, 21-year-old Sachita Pariyar of Tanahun, and 41-year-old Niroj Rai of Khotang.

The Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office in Teku apprehended the suspects from separate locations across the capital on Thursday and Friday after receiving fraud complaints from the victims.

The police action revealed a widespread pattern of scams involving multiple destination countries and substantial sums of money.

Investigators found that Kunsang Lama took Rs 207,000 from a victim promising a job in the UAE, while Dhan Bahadur Shahi collected Rs 295,000 under the pretext of sending an aspirant to Georgia.

Similarly, Umesh Limbu defrauded a victim of Rs 500,000 for a trip to Belarus, Sachita Pariyar collected Rs 150,000 for employment in Romania, and Niroj Rai went out of contact after collecting a total of Rs 790,000 from two individuals by promising them placement in Turkey.

Following their arrests, the police transferred all five suspects to the Department of Foreign Employment in Tahachal, Kathmandu, for detailed investigation and legal prosecution.