The Kolkata police are cracking down on Nepalese Maoists who are collecting money to fund their rebellion in the Himalayan kingdom.

Police sources said the Maoists operate in the city under the banner of Youth Communists' League, which is a frontal agency for the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist.

The police have picked up ten YCL members since February 26.

They reportedly confessed to raising Rs2.8 million in the past two years. They also said they had drafted scores of Nepali youth to join the fight against the Nepalese government.

One of those arrested was the YCL's state secretary, Harish Giri. He and three others were held while they were distributing pamphlets that called for rejecting the monarchy in Nepal.

West Bengal and Nepal have promised to help with each other's security concerns as Indian and Nepalese Maoists are believed to be networking on statistical, monetary and other aspects.