Police have apprehended 10 Indian nationals holding Nepali citizenship, allegedly acquired by submitting fake documents.

According to the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, all the accused were arrested from different parts of Kathmandu Valley on Saturday after the Kathmandu District Court issued arrest warrants against them.

Of the total arrestees, seven are men and three women, according to the police. They were nabbed at different locations—Shankhamul, Kalanki, Bagbazar, Gongabu and New Baneshwar.

“Most of them were found using their Nepali citizenship certificates to buy properties in Kathmandu,” said Rabindra Regmi, information officer at the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office. “They were also found running businesses here.”

All those arrested were found to have taken their Nepali citizenship certificates from different districts, mainly Rupandehi, Bara and Parsa, on different dates, showing fake documents.

Police said those arrested have been living in Nepal for a long time, some since as far back as 2006. They are all from Bihar, the Indian state bordering Nepal.

“A majority of them were found running sweet shops at various locations,” Regmi said. “They have purchased houses and land, showing the same citizenship certificate.”

Regmi added the Valley Investigation Office has sent their files to the District Police Range Kathmandu for further investigation.

Of the accused, Bharat Prasad Gupta, 55, Rahul Gupta, 30, Gyan Mati Devi Gupat, 50, and Gopal Gupta, 39, were arrested from Shankhamul. Three others were arrested from Mirchaiya Municipality-2. Another accused, Gopal Gupta, 39, was found to have obtained Nepali citizenship from Rupandehi.

Four accused were arrested from Kalanki; Bharat Gupta, 46, Sneha Lata Gupta, 42, Mina Devi Gupta, 49, and Rajesh Kumar Gupta, 52, were found running a business in Kalanki. Another accused, Ram Prabesh Gupta, 43, was arrested from Gongabu, while Ram Sundar Gupta, 44, was arrested from Lagankhel.

The police have also seized five voter cards from the accused. According to a note issued by the police, Bharat Prasad Gupta, Rahul Gupta and Ganmati Devi Gupta had copies of Nepali citizenship and also the migration certificates that stated they had moved to Kathmandu. The trio were also found to be possessing separate recommendation letters issued by the Indian Embassy, which certified them as Indian citizens.