Saptari Police on Monday made public a suspected serial killer who was nabbed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Sunday.

Rais Miya aka Mohammad Mustakim, a notorious Indian criminal, has been charged with murdering seven persons. Superintendent of Police Bhim Prasad Dhakal said a police team from Saptari, based on a tip-off, detained Rais with the help of the TIA police while he was attempting to board a flight. A Nepali passport numbered 07656643 was also seized from him.

Rais, a permanent resident of Madhubani district in the Indian state of Bihar, was wanted for four murders in Saptari and three in Sunsari. He had been staying in Saraswor, Saptari.

According to police, a group of assailants including Rais murdered Sahabud Miya and his daughter-in-law Sagira Khatun of Saptari in 2012. He is also accused of killing Dulari Devi Sah and Nirmala Devi Sah in the district the following year. Police claimed that Rais was also involved in the murder of three family members in Inaruwa, the district headquarters of Sunsari. Investigating officers said his motive was money. Rais would take loans from people on various pretexts and kill the lender later, said SP Dhakal. Rais murdered them to free himself from having to repay the loan, said police.

He had taken Rs276,000 from Sahabud, pledging to free his son Mohammad Alam from prison. Alam was doing time in Rajbiraj Prison on a murder charge. Police said preliminary probe showed Rais had acquired the citizenship from Siraha district.