Manpower Agent Arrested for Demanding NPR 300,000 for Malaysia Job

Kathmandu. Ajay Kumar Yadav of Saptari, who was going to Malaysia as a security guard, had his flight on May 12. Although he was supposed to pay only a maximum of Rs 10,000 to the manpower company for processing under the government's 'Free Visa Free Ticket' policy, Yadav had already paid Rs 70,000 in cash.

However, he could not fly to Malaysia because a manpower company called Grand Sweet Job in Koteshwor said, 'We will not take a single rupee less than Rs 300,000.' The employer company had already sent the visa and ticket. But, Ajay's dream of going abroad to earn could not be realized due to not paying Rs 300,000.

The manpower company said that if he paid the remaining Rs 220,000, they would send him on May 15. Then he arranged the money. He took a night bus and arrived in Kathmandu on Saturday morning.

An employee of the company called Ajay on Saturday morning. Stating that he had Ajay's passport and other documents, the employee asked him to come to the petrol pump in front of the petrol pump in Gaushala, Tinkune with the money.

By then, Ajay had already informed the secretariat of the Minister of Labour, Youth and Employment, Ramji Yadav, about the problems he had faced. Ajay is a voter in Ramji's constituency.

Minister Yadav's personal secretary Saroj Yadav himself was involved in resolving Ajay's problem. Along with some journalists, he went to the police station in Tinkune. There, along with the police officers, the team reached the place where Ajay and the manpower employee were meeting. The employee, who claimed to work in the visa section of the manpower company, initially asked Ajay for money. When Ajay said he would give the money only after receiving the passport and documents, there was an argument for some time. At that moment, the police took the manpower employee into custody.

The employee, who admitted to demanding Rs 300,000 for a job that should have cost Rs 10,000 under the Free Visa Free Ticket policy, was handed over to the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office by the Tinkune police.

Four passports, flight tickets, and other important documents were found with the employee of Grand Sweet Job. It was found that he intended to give the documents after taking money from all four.

The arrest of manpower agents who defraud innocent workers in the name of foreign employment and charge lakhs of rupees in violation of the 'Free Visa Free Ticket' rule proves how innocent citizens are being cheated. Saroj, the private secretary of Labor Minister Yadav, said, 'Today, we have saved an innocent Nepali from being cheated in Gaushala, Tinkune. Heartfelt thanks to the police officers who supported this special plan.'

Yadav was in the process of going to Malaysia for a security guard job. He had completed all the procedures from the Jhapa branch office of the manpower company. Although the official fee set by the government to go to Malaysia was only Rs 10,000, the manpower company demanded Rs 310,000 from Yadav. The manpower company had initially agreed on Rs 300,000, offering a discount of Rs 10,000. The victim Yadav had already paid Rs 70,000 in cash for the ticket and other procedures, but the manpower company held his passport, labor permit, and air ticket hostage, refusing to return them until the remaining amount was paid.

Although the arrested agent initially claimed that he was only giving the documents after taking the money, he became silent when the police asked, 'Why did you ask for Rs 300,000 in a country with a Free Visa Free Ticket?' With the active involvement of the police, Yadav's passport, labor permit, insurance, and air ticket were recovered and handed over, ensuring that Yadav could fly to Malaysia on Sunday.

Yadav expressed his happiness, saying, 'Initially, the manpower company said there would be no charge, and everything would be arranged after passing the interview. But when the visa came, they started threatening that if I didn't pay Rs 300,000, I wouldn't be able to go. Poor people have to borrow money, and such looting should be strictly punished.'

The Labor Minister's secretariat has also appealed to contact the Ministry of Labor directly if any problems arise while going for foreign employment. The police have started further investigation for legal action against the arrested agent.