A gang of thugs has swindled a huge amount of money from over two dozen jobless Nepali youths aspiring to work overseas.

The gang, seemingly headed by Bibek Rai, who is believed to be from Bhojpur, has made off with at least Rs 500,000 from 32 Nepali youths each. Bibek, a Hong Kong identity card holder, who frequently travels to Thailand and Hong Kong, is at large after leaving all Nepali youths, who landed in Bangkok, only to be arrested and harassed by Thai policemen.

Bibek, also known as Bipin, had assured Nepali youths, who are now frantically searching for him and his agents, that they would get jobs with monthly salaries of up to $ 1100 at a Thailand-based international shipping company. Bibek had mobilized his partners and agents in Bangkok, Kathmandu and even some Nepali villages to entrap the not-so well-educated and jobless youths.

The swindled youths are now regretting their temptation of making quick buck. “I, perhaps all of us, was tempted,” said Pasang Sherpa, who hails from Bhojpur. “I did not see anything fishy. All I saw was handsome salary.”

Deceived, arrested and harassed

Kamal Shrestha, a resident of Sankhuwasabha, had flown to Bangkok, along with Pasang and three other youths, on January 8 after paying Rs 500,000 each to Rajesh Shrestha, whose name in the citizenship certificate is Ben Bahadur Banda. Rajesh, who introduced himself as Bibek´s friend, had escorted them to Bangkok on visit visas.

Once in Bangkok, Bibek told Kamal and his friends that the shipping company, where they were promised jobs, was actually seeking 45 youths. He asked Kamal and his friends to either bring more workers or return home.

Fearing that they would lose their money, the Nepali workers called their acquaintances, friends and relatives in Nepal to come to Bangkok for work. “I was forced into telling a lie, literally. I lied to them that I was making good money in Bangkok,” Kamal said. “Had I not lied to them, they wouldn´t have come. I would have lost the chance of getting the job and even money that I gave Bibek´s agents.”

Believing Kamal, Pasang and their friends, 27 more workers reached Bangkok, only to be forced into living in congested hotel rooms indefinitely. “Every time we asked Bibek as to when he would take us for work, he asked us to wait a few more days. Eventually, we were promised to be taken for work on April 1.”

Meanwhile, 10 of them were arrested by the Thai police, and harassed for suspiciously living in congested hotel rooms on visit visas on March 31. They were freed only after they paid fine. It provided a pretext for Bibek to again postpone the date for joining the ship company. They were again promised to be hired on April 3. But Bibek suddenly fled to Hong Kong this very day.

Abandoned with no one to help, they squatted on roads, only to be arrested again by the Thai police. Luckily, a Thai woman whom Kamal had befriended during his stay in Bangkok helped them get rid of police.

Abhisek Limbu, who was with Bibek but claimed ignorance about his misdeed, arranged flight tickets for all of them to Kathmandu. They have been desperately looking for Bibek and his agents in Kathmandu ever since, but to no avail.

They have also filed a case against Bibek and his friends at the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE). Kashi Nath Marasini, Director at the DoFE, says that the government could help them only if they produce ample proofs of giving money to Bibek and his agents. However, all they have as proofs of it are receipts of depositing money in Rajesh´s bank accounts. “This could be a vital and valid proof,” Marasini said.

However, unluckily, not all of them have such receipts. “We ignored the fact that it could be dangerous to go for overseas jobs through agents, and not through a licensed manpower agency,” Kamal said.

Published on: 29 April 2011 | Republica