SUNSARI: On October 16, Nepal Police arrested three Chinese nationals and five Nepali citizens from Bara-1, Sunsari, for attempting to marry off a minor Nepali girl to a Chinese national.
The three Chinese nationals were in Nepal on tourist visas at the time of their arrest.
Preliminary investigations by the Nepal Police suggest that the incident is part of a broader Chinese syndicate involved in luring vulnerable Nepali girls into marriages and subsequently trafficking them to China for illegal activities, including the flesh trade.
The arrested Chinese nationals have been identified as Li Teng, 33, from Hubei Province (Chinese Passport No. EN0429821); Wu Hezi, 35, from Hubei Province (Chinese Passport No. EG0502018); and Dong Shihao, 25, from Jiangxi, Guangxi Province (Chinese Passport No. EF8797981).
In recent years, Chinese nationals who have acquired Nepali citizenship have been linked to a range of criminal activities, including gold smuggling, cybercrime, human trafficking, and drug smuggling.
Authorities have expressed concerns that these individuals may pose a security threat to Nepal, particularly if they are allowed to settle in the country by acquiring Nepali citizenship.
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