A team from the Kathmandu District Police Range has arrested two individuals for their alleged involvement in trading Rs. 74,52,000 worth of cryptocurrency, which is illegal in Nepal. According to Police Spokesperson SP Pawan Kumar Bhattarai, those arrested have been identified as 36-year-old Bishal Dangol of Kathmandu Metropolitan City–14 and 45-year-old Umesh Shrestha, originally from Miklajung-1, Morang, and currently residing in Kalanki, Kathmandu.

Police acted on a tip-off that some individuals were involved in crypto transactions in the Bijuli Bazaar area of Kathmandu Metropolitan City–10. Acting on the information, a police team deployed from the District Police Range conducted a raid and apprehended the duo. Authorities also seized five mobile phones used to operate various crypto trading applications.

Preliminary investigation shows that the arrested individuals were actively involved in crypto trading, which is prohibited under Nepali law. Police have begun further investigation under the charge of unauthorized use of virtual currency, Bhattarai confirmed.

Three Middlemen Arrested for Cheating Passport Applicants

In a separate incident, the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office arrested three individuals who were working as middlemen, cheating people seeking passport services.

The accused have been identified as:

19-year-old Hemant Singh Okheda of Bithadchir-6, Bajhang, currently living in Kirtipur
45-year-old Manraj Shrestha of Kathmandu Metropolitan City–18
30-year-old Dipesh KM of Pyuthan Municipality

According to SP Kaji Kumar Acharya, spokesperson for the Crime Investigation Office, the trio was found outside the Department of Passports, Tripureshwar, luring service seekers by promising “faster passport processing” in exchange for extra money.