Kathmandu: Police in Kathmandu said on Sunday they had arrested five Nepalese men during evening raids on casinos reserved for foreign tourists.
Gambling is illegal in Nepal, but eight hotels in the capital operate casinos under special government licences that only allow them to admit foreign customers.
Nepalese gamblers often sneak into the establishments, and police have recently launched a crackdown saying the casinos have attracted organised criminal groups.
"It is illegal to allow Nepalese to gamble in the casinos," Kathmandu police chief Pushkar Karki said after the raids on Saturday night.
"One crime leads to another and of late casinos have become a hub for criminal activities."
The men have been charged under the Gambling Act and face a maximum penalty of one year in jail.
Nepal's first casino opened in 1968 and the industry has long been a draw for tourists from neighbouring India.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, January 30, 2011, 16:15