KATHMANDU:- Twenty-one Nepali citizens who were lured to Cambodia by various individuals and fell victim to online scams at illegally operated online scam centres and casinos there have been rescued and brought back to Nepal.
They were involved in various illegal activities and staying in Cambodia without a visa. The 21 Nepalis were rescued with the initiative of the Nepali Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, and the support of the Cambodian government, and were brought back to Nepal today with the facilitation of the Non-Resident Nepali Association Cambodia.
The embassy has stated that efforts are underway to bring back other Nepali nationals who are stranded or in difficult situations there.
The embassy said it has received information that Nepali citizens in Cambodia have been involved in online scams and other illegal activities, and have been staying there without a visa or beyond the visa period.
In this context, it has requested that Nepali citizens residing illegally or in difficult circumstances contact the Nepali Embassy in Bangkok or the representative of the Non-Resident Nepali Association in Cambodia to facilitate their return to Nepal.
Many complaints have been received of passports of those employed at scamming centres are confiscated by the company or lost when transferring from scamming centres. In such cases, the Nepali Embassy in Bangkok issues a free one time travel permit for return to Nepal.
According to the tourism statistics of Cambodia, 101 Nepalis visited Cambodia on a tourist visa in 2021, one thousand 977 in 2022, two thousand 940 in 2023, six thousand 404 in 2024, and in 9,676 in 2025.