KATHMANDU: The government has deported 122 Chinese nationals, 114 men and 8 women, arrested in Kathmandu to China this evening.

They have been deported to China on two aircraft that came from China on Wednesday evening. A total of 122 Chinese nationals who had arrived in Nepal on tourist visas and had involved in illegal activities in Nepal have been sent back via China Eastern Airlines.

A China Eastern Airlines plane that arrived from Kunming took 42 of them and a China Southern Airlines from Guangzhou took the other 80.

The decision to deport them was made based on the Immigration Act 2049, Immigration Regulations 2051 and the Immigration Work Procedures 2065 BS.

The Act provides for a fine up to Rs 50 thousand or five years imprisonment or both depending on the nature of the crime.

Nepal Police had on December 23 arrested them from several areas, including Maharajgunj, Manamaiju, and Budhanilkantha area of Kathmandu as they were found to be involved in carrying out illegal activities in Nepal.

It should be noted that a single bench of Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu, Janakraj Dahal, had on January 5 slapped a fine of Rs 1,000 each to these Chinese nationals on the case under indecent behavior as per the provision of charging a maximum of Rs 10,000 fine on such cases.

Police then handed over the arrested Chinese nationals to DoI, which then decided to charge Rs 1,000 for those whose visa term has not expired and Rs 2,000 fine for those whose visa has expired.

It has been learned that the Embassy of China has paid their money.

The DoI, however, said that the term of the visa of 34 of the Chinese nationals has expired.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy has already revoked the visa of those Chinese nationals.