Ugandan woman finds Kathmandu haven for flesh trade

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 4: Police have arrested a Ugandan woman for allegedly running flesh trade in Kathmandu by luring fellow countrywoman with false job offer in Nepal. 

The Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau of Nepal Police detained the Ugandan woman, identified as Immaculate Nabasumba alias Natasha, on the charge of running flesh trade.

According to Spokesperson for the Bureau and Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Prasad Pangeni, it has been found that Natasha invited the Ugandan woman to Nepal on a tourist visa and engaged her in sex trade. 

Natasha had assured the woman that she would make USD 500 by working as a cleaner, waitress, among other jobs, and could even pay for air tickets, visas and other expenses from her earning.

According to SP Pangeni, the victim and the perpetrator (Natasha) are old acquaintances in Uganda. 

"It seems that she was called here in Nepal because bringing a close friend to Nepal is easy," SP Pangeni told The Rising Nepal. 

According to the police, the victim had arrived in Nepal on January 28 after being lured by Natasha. Natasha came to Kathmandu on December 8, 2022 and has been staying at Hotel Journey Home Pvt Ltd, Thamel.

SP Pangeni said that once the victim arrived, she kept the victim in the hotel where she was staying and forced her to have physical relationship with the men of Nepali and Indian origin. 

It has been revealed that she even threatened to kill the victim’s family if they stopped her from working. 

The victim told the police that Natasha forced her to have sex with five to seven men every day. However, the woman fell ill after a week from having to sell her body.  

After falling ill, she left the hotel and reached Tribhuvan International Airport to return to Uganda. But Natasha had already canceled her air ticket, prompting the woman to lodge a complaint at the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau of Nepal Police. 

The police arrested Natasha on February 27, the same day the victim filed the complaint, according to SP Pangeni.

From a preliminary investigation of the police, it was revealed that the accused woman herself was in sex business.  She had been making arrangements for the customers by herself. 

SP Pangeni said that when the customers did not come in contact by themselves, she used to look for them visiting various night clubs in Thamel.

According to the police, she used to charge Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 5,000 per person.

The police suspected that Natasha might have used other women in the business as well. 

“Other women may have been made to do such work. However, they have not come in contact. We are investigating further," said SP Pangeni.

He said that an investigation into whether Nepalis have been involved is also being conducted. 

“The incident seems to be a new and of different nature. We are seriously investigating into this matter,” SP Pangeni said.