Shambhu Kattel in Annapurna Post, 29 November
A human smuggling from Nepal to the UK was exposed when two Syrians, along with their two brokers, were caught at the Tribhuvan International Airport. Primary investigations show that Nepal was the transit point of the facilitation, and settings were made at the airport to send them to the UK. The German broker, Omirat Husain, and Turkish broker, Jorich Iradins, were found to have facilitated fake Slovenian passports to the Syrians, who are currently under custody at the immigrations department which had granted Fouad Ijeh and Fadiya Aaj a visa for 15 days in Nepal. The two Syrians landed in Kathmandu last Friday. Driver Madhu KC and office helper Januka Thapa were found to have taken bribe from the Syrians to help fill the arrival forms and show them their way out. It was also confirmed by a CCTV footage that they helped the Syrians to move money past immigration. The two have been suspended by the department. Immigration director Dhruba Raj Joshi said investigation of the Syrians and their brokers have begun and that the wider trafficking network may be exposed after further interrogation. The police caught the four Syrians at Axis Hotel in Thamel, where they had headed straight to after receiving their visas. The police got suspicious when the two brokers were noticed trying to hide the two Syrians from the police's view, after which they were followed to the hotel.