Nepal asked Moscow this week not to recruit its citizens into the Russian army, and to send any Nepalese soldier in its armed forces back to the Himalayan nation after six of its citizens serving in Russia’s military were killed.

Kathmandu’s district police chief Bhupendra Khatri said 10 people were in police custody after being detained over the past few days following tip-offs.

“We are discussing with the government lawyers about the case and will produce them to the court,” Khatri told Reuters. He did not say when they would appear in court.

Khatri said the detainees illegally charged each person up to US$9,000 and sent them to Russia on “visit (tourist) visas”, mainly through the United Arab Emirates. They were then recruited into the Russian army.

“It is a case of human smuggling…organised crime,” Khatri added.

The detainees could not be immediately reached for comment.

Nepal, which lies between China and India, has asked Russia, which invaded neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022 and has been engaged in a war since, to compensate the families of the Nepalese citizens killed.

Nepalese soldiers, called Gurkhas, are known for their bravery and fighting skills and have been serving the British and Indian armies after the independence of India in 1947 under an agreement among the three countries. There is no such agreement with Russia.

Millions of Nepalese are employed in civilian work – mainly as labourers in industries and construction sites – in South Korea, Malaysia, and the Middle East.