Police nab alleged gang members in overnight operation

Kathmandu, Apr. 5: In a sweeping late-night offensive aimed at restoring public safety in the capital, police in Kathmandu have busted dozens of individuals linked to street crime, extortion and organised intimidation, marking one of the most visible crackdowns in recent days.

Dubbed “Operation Safety Kathmandu”, the coordinated drive saw teams from the District Police Range Kathmandu and the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office fan out across key neighbourhoods overnight. 

Police targetted networks long accused of running protection rackets, scamming unsuspecting victims and operating as middlemen in illegal dealings.

By Saturday afternoon, police confirmed that 18 individuals directly linked to gang-related activities had been detained, while a much broader sweep brought 195 people into custody for necessary grilling across different locations.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ramesh Thapa of Kathmandu District Police Range claimed the operation as a necessary show of force. “We have taken control of individuals involved in long-standing criminal activities, including coercion, fraud and organised hooliganism,” he said, adding that areas such as Thamel, Kalanki, Tribhuvan International Airport, and Budhanilkantha were among the hotspots targeted. The Kathmandu District Police Range has arrested five individuals.

Similarly, the Kathmandu Crime Investigation Office has also arrested 13 individuals, according to SSP and Chief of the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, Santosh Khadka.

“We conducted an operation throughout the night. Those involved in hooligan activities in areas such as Thamel, Durbar Marga, and Samakhusi have been arrested,” he said. Tomorrow on Sunday, they will be presented to the Kathmandu District Court, for remand order, said SSP Thapa. 

Familiar names, familiar turfs

Among those arrested are figures police say were active in well-known local groups. Authorities allege that some operated under the influence of established gang leaders, maintaining control over neighbourhoods through intimidation and petty crime.

Five suspects were apprehended under the District Police Range alone, including individuals accused of operating in areas such as Bauddha, Kalanki and Syuchatar. Others, detained by the Crime Investigation Office, hail from districts including Kavre, Khotang, Nuwakot and Lalitpur.

Police have said investigations are ongoing, with more arrests likely as interrogations continue.

The crackdown has also drawn attention for ensnaring a political figure. Wakil Bam, a secretariat member of the youth wing affiliated with CPN-UML, was among those detained on allegations of involvement in hooliganism. Originally from Kalikot, he had reportedly been active in the Thamel area.

Agarwal arrested 

In a related but separate development, authorities have also intensified a high-profile financial investigation. Sulav Agarwal, son of 

Shankar Lal Agarwal of the Shankar Group, has been arrested from Bhairahawa. He was arrested by the team of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB).

He is reportedly a business associate of Deepak Bhatta, who was earlier detained by the Central Investigation Bureau as part of a money laundering probe initiated at the request of the Department of Money Laundering Investigation.  A court in Kathmandu has authorised a 10-day remand for Bhatta as investigators expand their case to include associates.

Officials insist the operation is not a one-off. With “Operation Safety Kathmandu” now under way, law enforcement agencies say they are determined to sustain pressure on criminal networks—sending a clear message that the capital is no longer a safe haven for those operating outside the law.