Pakistani bank fraud traps 7 Nepalis in Bahrain jail

Seven Nepalis are serving jail terms in Bahrain on charges of bank fraud. They were arrested about a year ago, accused of taking large loans from banks and not paying them back.

According to the Nepali Embassy in Bahrain, the men said that Pakistani nationals misused their bank cards to take loans. They claimed they never received the money, but documents and CCTV footage showed their signatures, which trapped them in the case.

In Bahrain, workers with a CPR card (similar to a citizenship or ID card) can apply for bank loans. Using the Nepalis’ cards, loans worth 30,000 to 40,000 Bahraini Dinars (about Rs 1 to 1.5 crore) were taken in each person’s name.

The case has been taken as a serious crime in Bahrain. Some of the accused have already been sentenced to up to three years in prison along with fines. Families of the jailed Nepalis say they were framed and have requested the Nepali government to investigate.

The Embassy has asked the Bahraini government for official details and has written to its foreign ministry. Once the reply comes, the information will be shared with Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Officials say, however, that since this involves Bahrain’s legal system, only diplomatic efforts can be made, and the chances of immediate release are low.

Many Nepali youths take loans of a few lakhs at home to go abroad, dreaming of reaching Europe or America. Some end up in foreign jails, leaving their families in Nepal burdened with heavy debt and worry.

According to the embassy, more than 1,000 Nepalis are currently imprisoned in different countries. These include 544 in Saudi Arabia, 300 in the UAE, 250 in Malaysia, 64 in Qatar, 50 in Kuwait, and 25 in Oman.