(Credit - Nepal Police)
Nepal Flood Safe Looting Triggers 29 Arrests and Dh223k Recovery
A bank safe swept downstream by severe floods in Nepal was broken open by individuals who removed the currency inside before security forces could intervene. Local residents and suspects across the disaster zones faced immediate law enforcement action as a joint team arrested 29 people and recovered millions of rupees.
Joint Security Operations Target Post-Disaster Theft Across Districts
The joint operation involving the Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force recovered NPR 9.27 million, approximately Dh223,000, after tracing the looted container. The safe was originally dislodged from its housing in the flood-stricken Rasuwa region and carried downstream by the Trishuli River until it washed ashore in the Belkhukhola area of Dhading district, near Galchhi. Reports from the Nepalese newspaper Kantipur detailed how individuals encountered the washed-up safe, forced it open, and removed the cash before authorities arrived at the scene.
Investigators are attempting to determine the total sum originally contained within the vault, meaning officials cannot yet confirm whether all missing funds have been recovered or if additional money remains unaccounted for. In response to the incident, police increased surveillance and patrols across flood-impacted regions to prevent further theft targeting government, commercial, and private properties while communities navigate the aftermath of the disaster.
