PTI — The Nepal government has initiated the process to deport 122 Chinese nationals detained for alleged cross border cyber crimes and criminal activities last month from different parts of Kathmandu, authorities said. On Sunday, the Kathmandu District Court imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 each on the Chinese nationals for their ‘indecent behaviour’ and ordered their release.

The Department of Immigration has started the process of screening the documents in an attempt to deport 122, who were arrested on charges of attempting to commit cyber crime and cross border criminal activities. Of those arrested, 92 Chinese do not have any valid travel documents and the authorities here have asked the Chinese Embassy to provide the necessary travel document, according to official sources.

They will be deported after the immigration department completes all the legal procedures, Senior Superintendent of Police Teku was quoted as saying by the Himalayan Times on Sunday. Director General of Department of Immigration Eshwor Raj Poudel said the Chinese would be deported to China within two days.

“Since police investigation has shown that the arrested Chinese were not involved in crime related to Nepal, we will have to deport them from the country after recording their statement,” added Poudel. The 122 Chinese were arrested on December 23 on suspicion of using social media to swindle money from the rich, single and divorced Chinese women, running an illegal online gambling racket, operating Ponzi scheme and blackmailing the Chinese by hacking their private information from phones and computers, the report said.

The police arrested them from 10 different locations in Kathmandu.