Dozens of Nepalese workers missing from Ala. plant
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- About 100 people who came from Nepal to work at a north Alabama factory seemingly vanished from a pair of apartment buildings, along with a lot of furniture and appliances, and can't be located, officials said Tuesday.
Immigration agents are trying to determine what happened to the Nepalese workers, among hundreds brought to the United States to work at a DVD factory operated by Cinram Inc., said Lauren Bethune, a spokeswoman for the Alabama Department of Homeland Security.
"We do not in any way consider it a security threat, but we do think it is important," she said.
A Huntsville television station, WAAY-TV, first reported on the missing workers.
Cinram's human resources director, Peter Hassler, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment. But a spokesman for a company that recruited the workers for Cinram said a contact in Nepal believes many of them have returned home.
"Most of the people he was talking to said they came to America, did what they wanted to do and went back home," said Doug Wilson, president of Ambassador Personnel in Thomasville, Ga. "These are people with pretty strong family ties."
Mary and Tim Snopl told the TV station they rented apartments in two buildings last fall to about 240 workers from Nepal. But Mary Snopl said scores of the workers are now missing, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of furniture, televisions and kitchenware.
"I don't know if they're living in Huntsville or somewhere else, I just know they aren't living with us and they aren't working at Cinram," she said.
Wilson said his company was seeking a list of items believed to be missing.
Reports last fall said Cinram had hired about 1,350 foreign workers to package DVDs at its plant in Huntsville. Cinram - which describes itself as the world's largest maker of pre-recorded multimedia products - said it turned to foreign workers because the area job market couldn't fill its needs.
Bethune said about 100 immigrants were believed to be missing. Agents are trying to determine exactly what type of visas they used to enter the United States.
"It's possible that they had work visas, they expired, and they went home," she said.
The workers can earn $8 an hour working 12-hour shifts packing DVDs in boxes. Besides Nepal, Cinram has used foreign workers from Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Ukraine
as far as i know ....the real crook behind all this issue is the head of this company itself. i talked with those neplease and they told me that the owner send a team to nepal ,to recrute the nepali workers. he is the one who demanded such a huge amount of money from the workers. of cource he didnt asked directly, but through the consultancy on the commison base. i even heard that the owner has a swiss bank account to blind fold the government. he was just interested in making a quick money. he is a great master mind behind this.
couple of month ago there was an article on the huntsville times about sindram ,critising about its step to bring foreign workers. the artical said that, there are already hundreds of unemploied or part time emploied people in huntsville . it is absolutely un necessary to bring foriegn workers. therefore it is clear that there is a different motive behind bringing all there workers .
another thing that concerned me is that....the news is stating about missing of thousand of dollars worth of furniture, which i think is absolutely bull shit. i have seen the appartment, and i can tell that the futniture over there costs not more than $100 . in fact there arent such kind of expensive furniture which can be lifted and sold. comon man!!! there workers dont even have a ride to carry all this furnitures. i think that this is all conspiracy by the land loard because these workers ran away before the appartment lease was over.
still there are around 50 workers left here. i've heard that they are planning to call the local news and explain about the missing furnitures. lets see what comes up next.
rockey i doubt your story. a multi million dollar company head. if it's true, it won't take too long for the homeland security to convict him. but if your info is from those already shaken runway since he/she is your distant cousin, then it more that the dalal made up a good story to cover up their ass. we'll see. i don't trust anybody. if they can prove the furniture existed and now are gone, it doesn't matter who comes forward to defend. I doubt they did it, but you never know.
A very good friend of mine has gone out of contact since last september. He was there in Huntsville, Alabama before missing away. I tried inquiring with few of my other friends, but got no luck to find anything. One of his roommate said he heard a rumor that my friend headed to New york and confirmed me that he is not trapped in any physical or health risk or any traffic accidents.
I was not telling this story to anyone because I thought, it might cause him trouble if he has a plan to hide with INS people. But I dont know, what would be my appropriate role for his good at this moment.
yeah its of course scary and we all knew it was coming. but what i never understood was why the hell would ones run away with furnitures and applainces. at some point i feel sorry for those who have been defamed for what they didn't do only because of some douche bags. i mean about the stripping of furnished apartment they rented. i talked to one of those missing folks (he said he vanished some three weeks before them) and i asked him if them runaway nepali fellas really robbed the apartment and here is what he said. the night before the mass make-off they went to some bar to get tanked-up and called in some hookers to get laid. and the the most stupid thing they did was..... they didn't pay them hookers instead told them to come the other day to collect their service fee (LOL) and gave them their apartment key as security. the next day those hookers stopped by their apartment only to find the deserted apartment and no one to pay them. those nepali folks thought they duped them hookers and could get away with out paying 'em. WHAT A BUNCH OF MEATHEADS. yep as expected... those hookers took away all the furniture and tv in rage. and now of course those nepali folks would be held responsible for all the missing furnture and tv and here goes the news "nepali people vanished along with lots of furniture and appliances". WHAT A RIP-OFF!!!!!!!!!
अमेरिकाको अलावामा राज्यको हन्स्िभलस्थित CINRAM INC नामक डीभीडी
कारखानामा काम गर्ने एक सयभन्दा बढी नेपालीहरु एकाएक उक्त कम्पनी छाडी भागेको
समाचार एसोसिएट प्रेसले दिएको छ ।
नेपालीपोष्टका लागि स्थानीय सहयोगीले दिएको जानकारी अनुसार उक्त डीभीडी
कारखानामा कामगर्नका लागि सात महिने भिसा लगाएर नेपाल र अमेरिकाकाकै दलालमार्फत् गत
डिसेम्बरमा तीन सयभन्दा बढी नेपालीहरु उक्त स्थानमा आइपुगेका हुन् ।
त्यसरी सात महिने भिसामा आइपुगेका ती नेपालीहरुले दलाललाई बाह्र लाख नेपाली
रुपैयाँदेखि २५ लाखसम्म तिरेर आएको थाहा भएको छ ।
कारखानादेखि झण्डै १२ देखि १५ माइल टाडा अपार्टमेन्टमा राखिएका ती नेपाली
कामदारहरुलाई स्थानीय दलाल कम्पनीले नै स्कुलबसमार्फत् कम्पनीमा ल्याउने र लैजाने
काम गर्दै न्युन दरमा काम लगाएर सम्बन्धित कम्पनीबाट समेत दलालहरुले कमिशन खाने
भएतापनि ठगिएका नेपालीहरु आफू ठगिएको कुरा भने भन्न नचाहने र केही दिनपछि कोही
न्युयोर्क कोही बाल्टिमोरतिर जाने कुरा त्यहाँ काम गर्ने केही नेपालीले आफूलाई
जानकारी दिएको हाम्रा नेपालीपोष्टका सहयोगीले बताएका छन् ।
दुइ तीन महिनाको काममा लागि स्थानीय कामदारहरु त्यस्ता कम्पनीमा काम गर्न नचाहने
भएका कारण ती डीभीडी उत्पादक कम्पनीले भने बाहिरी मुलुकबाट सस्तो कामदार ल्याउने
गर्दै आएको हो ।
यसरी काम गर्न आउनेमा यसपटक धेरै नेपालीहरु स्थानीय दलाल र नेपाली दलाललाई सात
महिनाको भिसाका लागि मोटो रकम खर्च गरेर आएका र कम्पनीले क्रिसमस र नयाँ वर्षपछि
काम दिन छाडेपछि सो ठाउँ छाड्न बाध्य हुनुपरेको र सोही शिलशिलामा सो स्थान छाडेका
थाहा भएको छ ।
अपार्टमेन्टका फर्निचरसहित भागेका भनेर जसरी एसोसिएट प्रेसमा समाचार आएको छ त्यो
एउटै अपार्टमेन्ट कम्प्लेक्समा एक डेढ सय नेपाली बस्ने र विदाको दिन पार्टी गर्दा
फर्निचरहरु एक अर्का कोठामा पुगेका कारण त्यो समाचारमा आएको हुन सक्ने कुरा पनि
हाम्रा सहयोगीले नेपालीपोष्टलाई जानकारी गराएका छन् ।
सो राज्यमा रहेका स्थानीय मानवअधिकारवादी संघसंगठनहरुले समेत यस्ता कामदारका
बारेमा सम्बन्धित व्यक्तिहरुलाई सोधपुछ गर्दा ती नेपालीहरुले भिसाका लागि आफूहरुले
जम्मा सात सय डलरमात्र तिरेर आएको कुरा बताउने गरेका थिए ।
त्यसो त यसरी तीन महिनाका लागि काम गर्न आउनेमा केही युरोपियन मुलुक र केही
अप्रिmकन मुलुकका कामदारहरु समेत आउने र काम पछि फर्किने प्रचलन नै त्यहाँ बनिसकेको
भए पनि नेपालीहरुको हकमा भने कमाउनका लागि त्यहाँबाट भाग्नु आफ्नो बाध्यता भएको
ठानिन्छ ।
आहिले आएर स्थानीय अध्यागमनले समेत हराएका नेपालीहरुलाई खोजी गरिरहेको थाहा भएको
छ ।
यस सम्बन्धमा डीसीस्थित नेपाली राजदूताबासका उपनियोग प्रमुख कालीप्रसाद
पोखरेलसँग बुझ्दा आफूलाई यसबारे कुनै जानकारी नआएको नेपालीपोष्टलाई बताउनुभयो
।
अलाबामाका नेपाली भन्छन् नेपाल फर्कने कुरै भएन नि ऋणमा डुविएको छ
नेपालीपोष्ट प्रतिनिधि
अलाबामा, जनवरी ३०
अलाबामामा राज्यको हन्स्भिलस्थित डीभीडी कारखानामा काम गर्दै आएका तीन सय नेपालीहरुमध्ये बाँकी ६० जनाको संख्यामा अझै सो कम्पनीमा कार्यरत रहेको जानकारी नेपालीपोष्टका लागि स्थानीय पत्रकार सन्तोष पोखरेलले गराउनुभएको छ । नेपालका दलाल निलेशकुमार ठाकुर, चित्र केसी म्याग्दी र विमल कार्कीमार्फत सो कम्पनीमा मजदुरी गर्न आइपुगेका नेपालीहरुलाई दलालले काठमाडौंबाट पाकिस्थान हुँदै एटलान्टा आइपुगेपछि मात्र आफूहरु अमेरिका आइपुगेको थाहा पाएको कुरा त्यहाँ आएका नेपालीहरुले पोखरेलसँगको भेटमा जनाएका छन् । १६ लाखभन्दा बढी रकम तिरेर प्रतिघण्टा आठ डलरका दरले साताको चालीस घण्टा काम गर्ने गरी आइपुगेका नेपालीहरुले नेपालमा आफू ऋणमा चुर्लुम्म डुवेका कारण अब सात महिने भिसा सकिन र कारखानाले पनि तीन दिन जम्मा २४ घण्टामात्र काम दिन थालेपछि त्यहाँबाट नेपालीहरु भाग्न थालेको जानकारी पोखरेलले नेपालीपोष्टलाई दिनुभयो । नेपालस्थित दरवारमार्गमा निर्भना अलाइन्स नामको दलाल केन्द्रमा कार्यरत मुख्य नाइके निलेशकुमार ठाकुर भने हाल अलावामा आइपुगेको र निज ठाकुरले स्थानीय समाचार एजेन्सीहरुमा समाचार निस्केपछि डीभीडी कारखाना र स्थानीय दलालले हराएका मजदूरहरुका बारेमा सोध्दा उनीहरु केही दिन न्युयोर्क घुम्न गएका हुन् फर्केर आउने कुरा बताउन थालेका छन् ।
ठाकुरले त्यहाँ बाँकीरहेका नेपालीहरुको समेत पासपोर्ट माग्दै म तिमीहरुको भिसा थपेर ल्याइदिन्छु भने तापनि बाँकी रहेका नेपालीहरुले निजलाई पासपोर्ट भने नबुझाएको जनाएका छन् । स्थानीय नेपाली पत्रकार पोखरेलले दलाल ठाकुरलाई भेट्ने प्रयास गर्दा उनी त्यहाँबाट क्यालिफोर्निया लागिसकेको त्यहाँ रहेका नेपालीले जानकारी गराए । स्थानीय तवरमा कोही पनि नबस्ने कामै नलाग्ने अपार्टमेन्टमा प्रति व्यक्ति २ सय २५ डलर तिरेर चार जनाका दरले अपार्टमेन्टमा राखिएको छ । त्यस्तो अपार्टमेन्ट कोही बस्न लायकै नभएको र त्यो भन्दा राम्रो अपार्टमेन्ट सो स्थानमा तीन चार सय डलर प्रतिमहिनामा पाइने कुरा पनि सन्तोष पोखरेलले बताउनुभयो ।
समाचार एजेन्सीहरुमा जसरी नेपालीहरुले सामान चोरेर वेपत्ता भन्ने समाचार आएको छ त्यो झुटो रहेको कुरा पनि पोखरेलले बताउनुभयो। पत्रकार स्वयम् सो स्थानमा पुगेर हेर्दा त्यहां काम लाग्ने सामान केही नभएका कारण जसको अपार्टमेन्ट हो सो अपार्टमेन्ट धनीले इन्सुरेन्स क्लेम गर्नका लागि नेपालीहरुले फर्निचर टीभी सहित भागे भन्ने आरोप लगाएका मात्र हुन् ।
सिमरोन कम्पनीमा काम गर्ने नेपालीहरु भागेको सत्य भए पनि भागेका साथीहरुलाई सामान समेत उठाएर लगे भन्ने जुन आरोप छ त्यो सरासर झुटो भएको कुरा सोही सिमरोन कम्पनीमा कार्यरत नेपालीले स्थानीय टेलिभिजनसँगको कुराकानीमा समेत बताएका छन् । यसरी ती नेपालीहरु नेपालदेखि स्थानीय दलालसम्म पनि अझै डलर बुझाइरहेको समेत पाइएको छ । उनीहरुको कारखानामा पुगेर आउने जाने खर्च समेत स्थानीय दलालले खर्च उठाउँदै आएको छ । सिजनल एच २ वी भिसामा उनीहरु हाल त्यहाँ आइपुगेका हुन् । एच २ वी भिसा अमेरिकामा सिजनल कामदारलाई दिइने भिसा हो । जुन भिसाको म्याद तीन देखि सात महिने हुन्छ प्रायजसो यस्तो भिसा अमेरिकाका छिमेकी राष्ट्र मेक्सिको लगायतका देशबाट काम गर्न आउने कामदारहरुका लागि अमेरिकी सरकारले दिने गर्छ । अब बाँकी रहेका नेपालीहरु पनि त्यहाँबाट भाग्ने तरखरमा रहेका छन् ।
Any one has more info about these brokers .. Nirvana Alliance , Niliesh Kumar Thakur (He is in USA right now) Chitra KC From Myagdi District and Bimal Karki, these people collected at least $ 6250000 from 250 Nepali, ( Average one paid 16 lakh Nepali around $25k some paid as high as 20 lakhs and cheap got a bargain of 12 lakhs) $25000 x 250 = $6250000, hey that's big investment to make $8/hr
Some of them told me they were instruct to tell they only paid $700 if any one asks.
If your figure are anywhere close, $ 6250000 is lot of money. I hope homeland security looks into this guys;s record, Niliesh Kumar Thakur and locks his ass in jail.
i hope somebody in the US embassy in Nepal is in deep shit.... they have always given me hard time during visa interviews doubting that i will be stuck in the US... yada yada yada ...and now they give H2-B visa to 100 people believing that they would all return back......what was that person smoking? freshly printed nepali notes, i suppose !!!....
There ain't no Indian dude (or any other counselors) working in the US embassy that gives away visas. You've been fed expired and baseless information. All these folks came here on a contract from Cinram (a mutli-billion dollar revenue corporation) the legit way. However, once these Neps got here, they decided to go illegit.
Also, The dhoti guy who got the contract from Cinram to bring in the Nep workers is estimated to have sent atleast 200 Neps here! As per estimates, this dude who made roughly 20 crores NRs is now at large as both the cops and the Maobadis are after him...All in all, A brilliant strategy but to every easy money comes a price!! Wait...now, the US govt is gonna be after him too. Damn, was it worth it in the end??
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