Kathmandu District Police Range, a unit of Nepal Police responsible for maintaining peace and order, arrested 101 individuals in a special sweep operation over the last 24 hours. The arrests targeted convicts with court-ordered sentences and fugitives in ongoing cases, according to police.
Dan Bahadur Thapa, spokesperson and Superintendent of Police for Kathmandu District Police Range, stated that the primary objective of the operation was to maintain peace, security, and order in Kathmandu Valley by preventing and controlling crime. Those apprehended were involved in various criminal activities, including assault, hooliganism, abuse, theft, robbery, acting as middlemen, and general hooliganism in public service offices, public places, and public transport.
Festival security plan in effect
This recent operation is part of a broader special security plan implemented by Kathmandu District Police Range for the upcoming festival season, which runs from October 2, 2026, to November 15, 2026. The plan aims to address increased security challenges during festivals, such as vacant homes, crowded markets, and higher public movement.
More than 3,500 police personnel are being deployed across Kathmandu Valley under this initiative. The security plan was developed based on an analysis of crime trends and security risks from previous years.
Kathmandu police have conducted similar sweep operations in the past. On October 2, 2026, an operation under the ‘Safe Kathmandu Campaign’ led to the arrest of 250 individuals within 24 hours. Earlier, in May-June 2026, Kathmandu police arrested over 1,400 people through similar sweep operations.
Ongoing strategies and unanswered questions
The special security plan for festivals will continue until November 15, 2026. Under this plan, police intend to establish citizen assistance centers, conduct continuous surveillance through CCTV cameras, and pay special attention to controlling fraud at ticket counters and preventing vehicle overloading. Police have also arranged security measures to ensure a response time of 5 to 10 minutes to any incident scene. Nepal Police is increasing its activity to control and prevent new types of crimes emerging with technological advancements.
While the ‘Special Sweep Operation’ was conducted in Kathmandu, there is no direct information available regarding its impact on Madhesh Province. However, security agencies and the Madhesh provincial government are also active in strengthening peace and order in the region. Armed Police Inspector General Narayan Dutta Paudel, for instance, instructed his subordinates on October 1, 2026, to take strict action against border crimes in Madhesh Province’s border areas. The Madhesh provincial government also provided 12 pickup vehicles on August 25, 2026, and 35 motorcycles on September 21, 2026, to enhance the operational capacity of the provincial police. Despite Madhesh Province formulating a provincial police act in 2075 BS, its implementation has been hindered by a lack of coordination with the federal government, posing challenges to provincial security management.
Further details regarding the nationalities of the 101 arrested individuals, the specific charges against them, and their current legal status (e.g., how many have been charged, detained, or released) are not yet available.
