Foreign Employment Department raids Air Kings; documents seized

Kathmandu, August 12: The Foreign Employment Department conducted a raid on Air Kings Placement Pvt Ltd in Kupandol, Lalitpur, on Friday. The action followed complaints that the company was illegally interviewing workers for jobs in Dubai, UAE.

An official from the Department reported that Air Kings was allegedly recruiting for ‘Spark Security Guard’ positions in Dubai. The company reportedly gathered young candidates from various locations, including Lalitpur, and demanded between 500,000 to 600,000 rupees from each. The raid was prompted by complaints from these job seekers.

During the raid, the Department seized documents, passports, and a computer from the company. Although Air Kings claimed a demand for 200 workers, this was not confirmed by the Nepali Embassy or any other agency. Complaints had been filed earlier when the company requested an initial deposit of 200,000 rupees, with total charges potentially reaching 600,000 rupees.

The department has temporarily halted interviews at Air Kings and has also raided their office in Pokhara. Danduraj Ghimire, the Department's Director General, confirmed that raids were conducted at both the Lalitpur and Pokhara offices.

Upon arrival, the department’s team found employees locked out of the Lalitpur office. The gate’s locking system initially prevented entry, and when the team did get inside, they found only a few people present. It is suspected that key documents were hidden by the staff.

Air Kings is noted for having sent a significant number of workers abroad last year, with Department statistics showing 4,014 individuals placed in foreign jobs.

The company's owner, Jay Ram Adhikari, is alleged to be conducting fraudulent activities under the guise of legitimate operations. Efforts to contact Adhikari for further comments were unsuccessful; a phone call to the office resulted in a female employee hanging up after saying she was unaware of the situation.