KATHMANDU, June 22: Police arrested All Nepal Football Association (ANFA)'s former General Secretary Lok Bahadur Shahi on Thursday over the charge of forgery.



According to the police, Shahi who is also former goalkeeper of the national football team, collected more than Rs 30 million from 25 individuals promising them to send them to Canada by presenting them as players participating in an international football tournament.



Shahi, who is also the President of Nepal Ice Hockey Association is currently in police custody for investigation.



Shahi is third individual to be arrested over the same charge of being involved in human trafficking posing them as players and sports officials. Earlier, Vice-president of International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) Chetan Raj Giri was arrested on similar accusation. Police had accused Giri of sending non-players to United Kingdom (UK) and South Korea as sports officials.



Police said that its preliminary investigation has shown that the accused has taken money from non-players with the promise of sending them to Canada and other countries.

“We arrested Shahi after we received complaints by individuals accusing Shahi of fraud,” said Metropolitan Police Crime Division's SSP Dinesh Amatya, “So far we have received complaints from 25 people against him. They have claimed that Shahi has collected more than 30 million from them but has now been responding irresponsibly with them.”



According to the SSP, Shahi had collected the stated amount saying that he will send them to Canada showing them, in papers, as players and sports officials of Kusunti Youth Club and The Association for International Sports for All-Nepal.



According to SSP Amatya, the investigation has shown the individuals got receipts for the amount of Rs 200,000 given by each of them to Shahi. However, complainants have claimed that Shahi had collected up to Rs 800,000 from each of them but they have no evidence of Rs 600,000.



The Association for International Sports for All-Nepal is an international organization and is also affiliated to Nepal Sports Council (NSC).