As Nepal gears up for the March 5 elections, the interim government has said it is stepping up efforts to restore law and order and is launching special operations to recover looted weapons and nab prison escapees.

With criminal incidents on the rise in the aftermath of the Gen Z uprising, both the government and political parties are under pressure to act responsibly and build a climate of trust to ensure safe and credible elections.

Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal on Saturday announced that the government is preparing to launch a special operation to recover looted weapons and rearrest prisoners who fled several prisons across the country as the Gen Z-led protests escalated on September 9.

Addressing the National Economic Dialogue 2.0 organised by the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) on Saturday, Minister Aryal said that cooperation from citizens at the grassroots level would be vital for this effort.

According to the minister, 710 weapons looted during the Gen Z movement have so far been recovered, while some were destroyed in incidents of arson.

Citing security reasons, Aryal said he would not disclose how many weapons had been looted during the violence that erupted in the wake of the Gen Z protests on September 9. “For security reasons, I cannot reveal the exact number of weapons that were looted. However, some have been recovered, while others were destroyed in fires set to various buildings during the protests,” Aryal said.

The Nepal Police Headquarters had earlier reported that more than 1,100 firearms were looted during the unrest.

Out of 14,549 prisoners who escaped during the revolt, 9,521 have returned to jails while 5,105 remain at large.

The minister further said, “We have repeatedly issued public notices calling for the return of prisoners and weapons. However, since some still remain outside, we will now conduct a special operation. We need cooperation from citizens at all levels for this.”

On Saturday itself, police from the Kathmandu Crime Investigation Office, Teku, arrested a youth with a police weapon looted during the Gen Z movement.

The individual has been identified as 21-year-old Manoj Dhungana, originally from Kailali and currently residing in Sahayoginagar-32, Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

According to the Crime Investigation Office, Teku, officers raided his room and recovered one gas gun, one mobile phone, and one leg guard used for riot control, based on the information that Dhungana had hidden weapons and ammunition looted from various police offices during the protests.

Formed with the backing of the Gen Z groups with the primary objective of holding elections on March 5, the Sushila Karki government claims to have moved forward with high morale to maintain law and order, while also urging the private sector to support its efforts.

Despite the government’s repeated appeals, police have reported a rise in various forms of criminal activities in society. According to police, the level of crime in recent times has increased compared to the period before the Gen Z uprising.

In several instances, those involved in such criminal activities have been found to be the prisoners who escaped during the chaos.

According to DIG Abi Narayan Kafle, the Nepal Police spokesperson, some prisoners who escaped from jails during the movement were later found involved in criminal activities.

A prisoner, who had escaped from the Nakhhu Prison in Lalitpur on September 9, murdered his wife shortly after reaching home in Kavre. According to police, 35-year-old Sant Bahadur Tamang of Gagal, Panauti Municipality-12 in Kavre, killed his 30-year-old wife, Manisha Ghyawa Tamang.

Similarly, another prisoner who escaped from the same prison the same day was found to have committed a murder in Kathmandu’s Thamel area. Police reported that the absconding inmate, Aakash Magar, attacked and killed 25-year-old Suraj Tamang with a khukuri.

Nepal Police has reported an increase in incidents of theft and burglary across the country in the post-Gen Z movement.

Police spokesperson Kafle said that incidents of theft have recently been on the rise in Kathmandu and other urban areas. “It is true that theft cases have increased, but we have also taken several of those involved under control,” he said.

He added that police are investigating whether those involved in such cases are the prison escapees.

With criminal incidents rising ahead of the polls, political parties and other stakeholders have expressed concern over the possible security challenges during the election.

Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa has said that with prisoners still at large and security forces’ weapons yet to be fully recovered, both the government and political parties must act responsibly to ensure a proper environment for the elections.

“The government must create a favourable environment for the elections, but political parties should not place the entire burden of maintaining peace and security on the government,” Thapa told the Post.

“If political parties insist that the election environment cannot be ensured until all weapons outside government control are recovered, and the government, in counter, argues that political parties have to pledge they will not use weapons during the elections, such a situation will not help create a conducive atmosphere for the polls.”

Home Minister Aryal recently said that political parties must assure the government that the weapons looted during the protests would not be used during the elections.

Thapa also stressed that a climate of trust must be established between the government and the political parties for the elections.