Continuing its broader crackdown on the transport syndicate, the government has decided to freeze bank accounts of various transport committees running syndicates and to subject transport entrepreneurs to probe by the Department of Money Laundering Investigation to see if they have earned money illegally.

The decision was taken during a meeting led by Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth at the Home Ministry on Friday afternoon.

Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Chiranjeevi Nepal, Home Secretary Prem Kumar Rai, secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, representatives from the Finance Ministry and top brass of the security agencies also joined the discussion held in the wake of protests launched by supporters of transport cartels. “We have already written to the Finance Ministry to freeze the bank accounts of the transport committees running syndicates as decided at the meeting,” said a senior official from the Home Ministry.

The central bank said it would write to the banks and financial institutions to freeze the accounts of transport committees running syndicates after correspondence from the Finance Ministry. “Probably, their accounts will be frozen from Sunday,” said Narayan Poudel, the NRB spokesperson.

A senior official from the money laundering watchdog said probe would be initiated against bus operators after receiving necessary details from the Department of Transport Management.