A joint team from the Metropolitan Crime Division and the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division arrested four individuals on Wednesday evening for operating a fake driving licence racket from different parts of Kathmandu.

Radheshyam Nagarkoti, 38; Rajesh Kumar Shrestha, 38; Munal Kumar Moktan, 40; and Rupendra Darji, 27, were arrested following a tip-off, police said.

Preliminary investigation shows that they have been involved in similar activities for a long time.

“The group used to lure victims with a promise to provide them with an original smart driving licence. But they would provide fake ones,” Superintendent of Police Kedar Dhakal, spokesperson for the crime division, told the Post.

Police also confiscated licence cards, printers, PVC papers and stamps, and bills of the Department of Transport Management from the group.

“These individuals would provide a permit paper, proof of passing the licence test to the victims. After providing the permit, they would take a long time to deliver the ‘fake’ smart licence,” said Dhakal.

During the investigation, the group is found to have been charging as much as Rs90,000 for a driving licence.

“They would ask a big chunk of payment in advance while providing them with the permit. Then they would go out of contact with some customers,” Dhakal told the Post. “We are investigating further to find more details about the customers.”

According to the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, fake licences are used by riders/drivers who fail the licence test or those who want to go abroad for a driver’s job.

“Fake licences are not used much in the Valley because they are easily detectable. If someone is found using a fake licence, s/he will be punished. We can also trace the fake licence back to the manufacturers,” said Superintendent of Police Rabindra Kumar Poudel, spokesperson for the traffic division.

On June 24, Parsa District Police had arrested 28-year-old Santosh Raut Kurmi in connecting with his involvement in the manufacturing of fake driving licences.