Police have arrested one more accused in the fake Bhutanese refugee case.

Hari Bhakta Maharjan, who was on the run while an investigation into the refugee scam was underway, was arrested from Kathmandu.

Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range chief Senior Superintendent of Police Dan Bahadur Karki confirmed the arrest.

“We produced Maharjan who was at large before the court today following the arrest,” he said.

SSP Karki said they are searching for those still absconding.

Of those accused, now 18 including former deputy prime minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, former home minister Bal Krishna Khand and suspended government secretary Tek Narayan Pandey have been booked, while 12 others are still absconding.

The District Attorney Office Kathmandu on May 24 filed criminal cases at District Court Kathmandu against 30 individuals allegedly involved in the refugee scam.

They have been charged with four types of crimes—treason, organised crime, fraud and forgery. The accused have been charge-sheeted for collecting Rs288.17 million from 115 victims—ranging from Rs200,000 to Rs4.8 million—promising them to send to the US in disguise of Bhutanese refugees.

The racketeers had bribed politicians and government officials to include the names of many Nepali nationals on a proposed list of Bhutanese refugees eligible for third-country resettlement. They collected hundreds of thousands of rupees from Nepali nationals promising to send them to the United States as Bhutanese refugees.