A major trafficking scandal has alarmed Nepal’s immigration system, with investigators alleging that more than 6,000 Indian citizens were illegally flown to third countries from Kathmandu airport under the watch of a senior government official.

According to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Tirtha Raj Bhattarai, then chief of the Tribhuvan International Airport Immigration Office, facilitated the departures without the mandatory “No Objection Certificate” (NOC). He held the position between October 2024 and May 2025.

Investigators say each Indian passenger paid between $1,000 and $2,000, money that allegedly travelled through middlemen and senior figures in the home ministry may have received a certain percentage of that. “The initial probe has focused on Bhattarai, but the second phase will expand to examine political connections and wider collusion,” a CIAA official said.

The racket came to light in May when CIAA officials raided the immigration office after months of surveillance. Bhattarai was briefly detained by the anti-graft body before being released on bail while investigations continued.

The findings paint a troubling picture. At least 200 members of the Sikh community are suspected to have entered third countries illegally, and Indian nationals even used fake NOCs to board flights to the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Why travellers chose Kathmandu rather than India’s 35 international airports remains a key question. Investigators say some were fugitives from Indian gold smuggling cases, including men blacklisted by the Indian embassy in Kathmandu. One such accused, Jageshwar Shah, reportedly flew out to Dubai just a day after being placed on the no-fly list.

Bhattarai is no stranger to controversy. He previously faced corruption charges over earthquake relief funds, yet was later promoted to joint secretary. His direct contact with travel agency operators, including repeated phone calls with officials from the Greenline Holidays, has deepened suspicion. CIAA has also traced suspicious money flows through associates’ bank accounts.

The scandal has embarrassed Nepal’s Home Ministry, which was informed twice by CIAA but allegedly showed no urgency until the anti-graft body launched its own sting operation. Former home minister Ramesh Lekhak and then home secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadi are now under scrutiny, with Bhattarai himself hinting at “higher-level involvement” during interrogation.

“This is not just about one official. It exposes a culture of organised collusion within the immigration system,” said a senior CIAA source.

The commission says it has completed the first phase of investigation and will soon file charges against Bhattarai and others. But victims’ rights activists warn the scandal has already damaged Nepal’s credibility in global aviation and migration governance.

“Thousands of ordinary Indians were desperate enough to pay fortunes to slip through Nepal,” said human rights advocate Sushil Karki. “This shows how porous the system is, and how little protection there is for vulnerable people.”