Kathmandu [Nepal], July 25 – Nepal has deported 47 foreign women following a police operation targeting alleged “immoral activities” in Kathmandu’s tourist districts of Thamel and Durbar Marg, police said on Friday.
Speaking at a press conference, Kathmandu District Police Range Superintendent of Police Pawan Kumar Bhattarai said 57 foreign women were detained during the operation. Of them, 47 were deported through the Department of Immigration while investigations into the remaining 10 are ongoing.
According to police, the deported women were nationals of Uganda, Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh, Kenya and Indonesia among other countries.
Bhattarai said the operation was launched after authorities received complaints that foreign nationals were engaging in what police described as “immoral activities” in the two popular tourist areas.
He said the investigation found that some foreign nationals were involved in such activities because of Nepal’s relatively low cost of living and opportunities linked to the country’s nightlife economy.
Police also said they are investigating organised networks allegedly involved in online betting. According to authorities, money generated through betting platforms is being transferred abroad using hundi and cryptocurrency.
Bhattarai said police have stepped up monitoring of betting websites, investigations into financial transactions, and efforts to identify individuals and groups linked to the networks.
Separately, police said 309 people have been arrested as part of a campaign targeting middlemen accused of obstructing public service delivery. Of those, legal action has been initiated against 61, Bhattarai said.
