East Champaran: In a major crackdown on international cyber crime, Nepal Police have arrested six Chinese nationals for running fake dating app and crypto scams in Kathmandu. The arrests were made by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) after a raid at Dambal Chowk in Lalitpur district, far from the India-Nepal border. Officials said the accused were operating under the name of Social Software Development Company Pvt Ltd but were carrying out large-scale fraud.
According to CIB officials, the gang was luring Nepalese youth through fake dating apps, promising online relationships and extracting money from them. Alongside, they were also involved in the illegal business of cryptocurrency without government approval. The accused had rented a house locally and turned it into a hub for their online crimes.
CIB spokesperson SP Yuvraj Khadka said that during the raid, police recovered Nepalese currency worth Rs 13 lakh 99 thousand 950 from the accused. In total, 52 people were found linked to this gang. While the six main Chinese accused are in custody, the remaining 46 have been kept under investigation but are not yet arrested. The involvement of foreign nationals, especially Chinese citizens, in such cyber crimes has raised concerns about digital security in Nepal.
Nepal Police have launched multiple charges against the gang under cyber crime and foreign exchange violation laws. Officials said this incident is a warning not only for Nepal but also for India and other neighbouring countries, as online frauds using dating apps and cryptocurrency continue to rise across South Asia.
