Security personnel at the Israeli Embassy in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, recently apprehended an Iranian citizen after observing him loitering suspiciously near the embassy, according to Nepalese news reports.
Local police believe that Mohsin Khosravian and his handlers were planning a terrorist attack against the embassy or against targets with a high concentration of Israelis in Kathmandu, a popular tourist destination for Israeli backpackers, according to a report in the Himalayan Times, based on a previous report in the Nepalese daily Annapurna Post.
Along with an Iranian passport, Khosravian also had a fake Israeli passport in the name Alexander, with which he requested a visa upon arrival at Trivandrum International airport on April 3. According to the news report, the Iranian was transferred to the custody of local police, who were questioning him to determine whether his activities were for the purpose of gathering information and planning an attack against Israeli targets.
The Iranian was apprehended on April 13 after the Israeli security officer at the embassy suspected he was gathering intelligence for a future attack "because he was carrying a map of Lazimpat neighborhood, where the Israeli embassy is located."
He claimed he was in the area merely to look for a repair shop to fix his laptop computer.
Khosravian has been a resident of Bangkok since 2004 and has been married to a local woman for the past five years. His arrest was publicized after his wife and two Iranian family members arrived in Kathmandu from Bangkok last Friday to meet him.
During his interrogation Khosravian reportedly told police investigators that his private business had gone bankrupt, and that he arrived in Kathmandu with the ultimate goal of requesting asylum in Europe.
During his initial interrogation, it was discovered that Khosravian used his Iranian passport to travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 31, where he apparently obtained his fake Israeli passport. His activities and movements are similar to those of Iranian nationals who tried to attack the Israeli Embassy in Thailand about a year ago.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Ben-Dor said, "We aren’t dealing with the matter and don't provide security-related information."
