Various education consultancies in Nepal that had sent the students to St Lucia may also have acted as

enablers to these traffickers—knowingly or unknowingly, it remains to be investigated. Chief Secretary Leela Mani Paudyal has said that the authorities will initiate action once a formal complaint is recorded.

The owners of educational consultancies have claimed that they themselves were the victims of the fraud as the so-called college in St Lucia, Lambirds Academy, had sent them forged documents to initiate the admission process. What is clear, though, is that these education consultancies failed to verify the documents, that they made the mistake of sending the students to a foreign country based on e-mail correspondence and documents bearing the stamp of St Lucian government. The students had paid up to Rs 2 million, and they are now uncertain whether they will get back the money they had paid.

The Post contacted two of the students, one a returnee and still in St Lucia, and asked what they had to say about the case.

Bishnu (name changed), Lamjung

I returned two weeks ago with 13 other students from St. Lucia. We stayed there for nine days after the authorities closed down Lambirds Academy. I don’t know whether the college was fake or real. It was nothing like we were told here in Nepal. In fact, it did not look like a college. Just days before we flew there, the college had asked my group to buy the return tickets as well. Then, we didn’t know what was going on. We did as the college asked. I had paid Rs 1.2million which my parents had taken as a loan. I don’t know what I will do if I don’t get the money. The Abroad Education Consultancy in Chitwan that had sent me to St Lucia has promised me and the other students from my group to pay us back. I have no idea how. Our agent has asked us to wait until Wednesday’s court hearing.

Ramesh (name changed), Dhading

I arrived in St Lucia two months ago. I had told my friends and family that I was flying to America. They wouldn’t have allowed me to come otherwise. Lambirds Academy had a credit transfer programme with America-based colleges, so I thought it was a great opportunity. I learnt about Lambirds Academy through Kathmandu Multiconsult, but I applied for studies on my own through e-mail. I had regular correspondence with Dr Shams, the dean of the college, and he had agreed that I could pay my fees after I had reached St Lucia. But when I arrived here, I could tell that it was all a sham. Luckily, I got accepted by Monroe College in Castries City and got a job at a hotel. I am in regular contact with the other students who are stranded here. There are around 60 of them. The St Lucian police have divided into various groups and kept them separately. They do not wish to disclose their names before the court hearing. Many of them are lying to their families, saying that they have started attending the classes. They come from middle class families and most of them had taken loans to come here. They want their money back and return home safely.