Nepal Police has launched a crackdown on education consultancy operators accused of duping Nepali students by sending them to unaccredited academic institutions in the United Arab Emirates.

As many as six owners and managers of the consultancies were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday after a preliminary investigation by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) found they were involved in fraud. Superintendent of Police Shiva Kumar Shrestha, the bureau's spokesperson, said, “Our investigation found their involvement in fraud. They sent students to training institutes, claiming they were colleges and universities having affiliations with different European universities.”

Shrestha said the six individuals were arrested in the first phase and others could be arrested if investigation finds wrongdoing. The owners and managers of Best Path Education Pvt Ltd, Global Education Consultancy, Cityhub Education Network Pvt Ltd, and Kantipur Abroad Consultant Pvt Ltd are the ones who have faced police action.

Issuing a statement, the bureau said the accused allegedly duped students from across the country by claiming to facilitate higher education through academic programmes in the UAE that included credit transfers and were purportedly affiliated with universities in countries such as France and Australia.

Investigations found that these courses were offered through training institutes that had not received approval from the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, according to Shrestha. The institutes allegedly collected between Rs800,000 and Rs2.2 million per student.

“Police arrested six individuals on charges of fraud under the National Penal Code after Kathmandu district court issued arrest warrants," reads the statement. Thirty-two students who were placed in 11 different colleges and universities not recognised by the CAA, had filed complaints against 13 education consultancies at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Thirteen students had lodged separate complaints with the bureau following the delays by the education ministry in investigating the consultancies.

“I am happy to see the police in action. Our months-long protests are gradually yielding positive results,” said Rijan Khadgi, who returned from Sharjah-based Brits Imperial College. He was sent to the unauthorised college by Cityhub Consultancy.

The students, who have returned from the different cities in the UAE after finding they were cheated, have been protesting regularly under the banner “Scan the Scammers” demanding justice.

They have called for a high-level committee with student representation to investigate the matter, immediate arrest of the consultancy owners, and action against government officials who granted No Objection Certificates to the unauthorised institutions.

“We want a refund of our money and an assurance that other students will not be duped like me,” said Khadgi.

Around three dozen students have been protesting against the consultancies and UAE-based institutions since early November.

They are also demanding compensation for affected students, and action against the UAE-based institution in coordination with the UAE government. “The CIB has given hope for justice, while the education ministry has remained reluctant to act,” said Biswajeet Kumar Yadav, coordinator of the campaign.

Besides halting the issuance of No Objection Certificates for non-accredited institutions, the education ministry has taken no initiative to provide justice to students, according to the victims. Since November 14, the education ministry has been issuing No Objection Certificates only for institutions accredited by the CAA.

After the complaints of duping, the Nepali Embassy in Abu Dhabi noted that several education consultancies in Nepal have been sending students to universities, colleges, and training centres based in UAE’s free zones.

According to students who have returned home, many of these institutions fail to meet academic standards, falsely claim affiliations with foreign universities, lack proper infrastructure, and operate temporarily from rented apartments before shifting students to online classes. Students also allege that promised facilities, education quality, and employment opportunities were never delivered.

Those affected include Nepali students currently living in the UAE as well as many who have already returned home without completing their studies. Over 100 students have returned after discovering that classes were irregular or nonexistent, promised jobs not given, and institutions were little more than training centres.

Students claim that Nepal-based education consultancies acted as agents for these unaccredited institutions, promoting them as international universities and promising part-time employment sufficient to cover living and education costs.

Many of these institutions are registered in free zones such as Ajman, Sharjah, and Dubai, where setting up businesses is relatively easy and academic oversight is limited. Students allege that this loophole allows fake universities to operate with minimal scrutiny.

Promotional materials and websites often depict large campuses and modern facilities, but in reality, several institutions function from just a few rooms, with most classes conducted online.

As per international media reports, the UAE government itself is preparing to overhaul the country’s education sector with an enforcement of stricter legal provisions. According to a Tuesday report in the Gulf News, the UAE government has issued a federal decree on higher education and scientific research, introducing a comprehensive legislative framework designed to strengthen governance across the sector, enhance quality and competitiveness, and better align educational outcomes with the evolving needs of the labour market.

The institutions that duped Nepali students were only registered with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority but not with the UAE’s education ministry. All the higher education institutions in the mainland UAE are approved by the ministry and registered with the ACC.