Bardibas emerges as key transit hub for drug smuggling across Nepal-India border
Madhesh Province [Nepal], June 5 (ANI): Bardibas in Mahottari district has become a major transit hub for drug smuggling, with traffickers using the town to move marijuana from the hill districts of Nepal into India and bring controlled prescription drugs from India into Kathmandu, the Kathmandu Post reported.
Once a small roadside stop along the East-West Highway, Bardibas has seen rapid urban growth following the operation of the BP Highway, which connects the town directly to Kathmandu. This development has brought an influx of residents and businesses, but it has also coincided with the rise of illicit drug activities.
According to the Area Police Office in Bardibas, smugglers have established storage facilities throughout the town. Marijuana grown in the Chure hills is being stockpiled in Bardibas before being smuggled across the open Nepal-India border through nearby towns such as Gaushala, Ramgopalpur, and Jaleshwar. In the opposite direction, pharmaceutical drugs are brought illegally from India and distributed into Kathmandu.
Residential areas, schools, and local businesses have reportedly been affected. Authorities have found students in possession of marijuana and households storing as much as 20 kilograms. Deputy Superintendent of Police Bikash Bam stated that regular police patrols have increasingly found drugs being transported in four-wheelers. 'Even students from reputed schools are getting involved,' he said, urging stronger awareness and prevention efforts, as per reports by the Kathmandu Post.
Police believe the porous Nepal-India border has facilitated the movement of banned substances, with some Nepali youth traveling to India to procure or smuggle pharmaceutical drugs. In recent enforcement actions, police seized 40 kg of marijuana from a car in ward 11 of Bardibas Municipality and another 107.9 kg from a vehicle in Ramgopalpur. On the same day, two individuals were caught with 20 kg of marijuana on a motorcycle headed to Jaleshwar.
In another major operation, police confiscated 158 kg of marijuana from a Mahindra Scorpio parked near Shubha Swastik Hospital in Bardibas. Authorities say such busts have become routine, with vehicles including cars, motorcycles, and SUVs being used almost daily for smuggling.
Over the past 10 months, Mahottari police have seized more than 26.86 quintals of marijuana from 13 vehicles, filing 27 cases and arresting 37 individuals. During the previous fiscal year 2023-24, police confiscated 12.96 quintals and filed 10 cases.
The trend is not limited to Mahottari. According to police data, all eight districts in Madhesh Province are seeing a steady rise in marijuana trafficking, with a total of 135.69 quintals confiscated in the past 10 months alone, the Kathmandu Post reported.
Superintendent of Police Heramba Sharma said Bardibas has become a preferred route for traffickers due to its strategic location, short distances to border towns, and the availability of small vehicles for quick transport. A significant portion of marijuana seized in Mahottari reportedly originates from Makawanpur. (ANI)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Pakistani national apprehended in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri for aiding infiltrators along LoC: Report
Security forces on Sunday apprehended a Pakistani national near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Manjakote area of Rajouri district, officials confirmed. The individual, identified as 22-year-old Mohammad Arib Ahmed, was captured in a forward area of the Bhimber Gali sector. Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding his presence near the sensitive border zone, ANI reported. 'Acting on specific intelligence inputs regarding a fresh attempt to push terrorists across the LoC, the Army, along with the BSF, initiated a well-coordinated counter-infiltration operation on Sunday. Vigilant troops, maintaining an aggressive surveillance posture in the rugged terrain of the Gambhir area, detected suspicious movement by a group of four to five heavily armed individuals attempting to exploit the difficult terrain and dense foliage to infiltrate,' Hindustan Times reported, citing a defence official. 'During the subsequent operation, one individual—later identified as a guide facilitating the infiltration—was successfully apprehended. The remaining four terrorists, believed to be members of JeM, are suspected to have sustained injuries while attempting to escape and were forced to retreat across the LoC under the cover of thick foliage and adverse weather conditions,' a defence official told Hindustan Times. 'Presently, he is being questioned by the security forces,' officials told ANI. In a similar incident last month, a Pakistani national was apprehended from the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. During the subsequent operation, one individual—later identified as a guide facilitating the infiltration—was successfully apprehended. Another Pakistani national was detained by Border Security Force (BSF) troops after he illegally crossed the border in the Gurdaspur area of Punjab. (With inputs from ANI and HT) Key Takeaways The operation underscores the ongoing threat of infiltration across the LoC. Security forces maintain a vigilant posture to counter potential terrorist activities. The apprehended individual is being interrogated to uncover further details about infiltration attempts.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Unfortunate that rape cases are being politicised, this cannot be tolerated: Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan
New Delhi [India], June 30 (ANI): Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan condemned the alleged gang rape of a law student in Kolkata and said that such cases were being politicised and this cannot be tolerated. This comes amid mounting protests by several political parties over the incident. Ranjeet Ranjan said, 'In any state, whether it is our government or the BJP government, if there is harassment against women, then it is absolutely condemnable and it should not be tolerated in any situation. We went to Odisha and in a week there were cases of gang rapes in three different places. Whether it is Odisha or West Bengal, there should be no attempt to protect anyone, and it is unfortunate that everywhere it is politicised and as a woman, this cannot be tolerated.' Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh on Sunday hit back at Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's remarks against the TMC government, asserting that the state remains one of the 'safest places for women' in the country. Responding to Pradhan's demand to 'free' West Bengal from TMC rule, Ghosh accused the Union Minister of ignoring atrocities against women in BJP-ruled states. 'Tell Dharmendra Pradhan to talk about crimes against women in places like Unnao, Hathras, Prayagraj, and Delhi first... Police take action in West Bengal. Social crimes have lessened in the state. This is the safest state for women,' the TMC leader said. The remarks came hours after Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan alleged that West Bengal under TMC rule was facing a governance crisis similar to the Emergency imposed in 1975. Drawing a parallel, Pradhan said the TMC was carrying forward the legacy of the Congress-era Emergency by eroding constitutional values. '50 years ago, an Emergency was declared to dismantle, tear apart, and disregard the country's Constitution... It is disheartening that the party carrying forward that Congress culture is the Trinamool Congress. It has not yet overcome that mindset,' Pradhan said during a press conference. Meanwhile, Kalyan Banerjee in the latest row said, 'Yes, incidents do happen. Not all men are like this, but some have a perverted mindset. These perverted men then come out on the streets, hold protests and demand the death penalty.' On June 25, a female student was allegedly gang-raped inside the South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata's Kasba area. The police have arrested four persons, including the main accused Manojit Mishra, and formed a five-member Special team to investigate the incident. (ANI)
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Rs 1.5 crore robbery accused gets injured during police encounter in Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 30 (ANI): One person who was accused of a robbery case worth Rs 1.5 crore was injured in an encounter with the police in Ghaziabad's Kavi Nagar, as per the information by Ghaziabad ACP Bhaskar Verma. The incident was reported from the intervening night of June 29 and 30, when, during a check at the Diamond Tiraha, the police monitored a four-wheeler approaching suspiciously towards them. While the police were trying to stop the car, it collided with a tree. The accused tried to flee from the incident spot and started firing at the police officials. However, in self-defence firing from the police officials, the accused got injured. 'Today, a police check was conducted at Diamond Tiraha in the Kavi Nagar police station area. During this time, a four-wheeler was seen approaching suspiciously. While trying to stop it, the car collided with a tree. A person got out of it and ran away, who fired at the police. The police fired in self-defence, due to which he got shot in the leg.', ACP Bhaskar Verma said. According to the preliminary investigation, the accused was identified as Jitendra, against whom a case has been registered for a robbery worth Rs 1.5 crore that occurred in 2023. The police recovered a pistol, live cartridges and a dead cartridge from the accused, who was admitted to the hospital for further treatment. 'The police immediately sent him to the hospital, following the rules of human rights. During interrogation, he gave his name as Jitendra. Investigation revealed that a robbery case was registered against him in the year 2023, in which about Rs 10 crore was robbed. A pistol, live cartridges and a dead cartridge were found on him. The police are taking other legal action', Bhaskar Verma added. Further legal actions are being taken by the police into the matter. (ANI)
