DHANGADI, MARCH 5

An Indian national died after getting caught in a crossfire between police and smugglers in the Nepal-India border of Bellauri Municipality-7 in Kanchanpur on Tuesday night.

The deceased who appears to be in his mid-20s has been identified as Govind Singh of Pilibhat in India.

A police-team was deployed to the Nepal-India border area after receiving a special tipoff that a fake currency printing machine and drugs were being smuggled into the country from across the souther border.

However, the group of smugglers that were four in number reportedly fired shots at the police team, forcing the police to return fire in their defence, claimed police.

'The smugglers fired at the patrol team immediately upon seeing them, informed Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Amar Bahadur Thapa while adding that a person was killed in action while three escaped the police pursuit.

Police, after the shootout, confiscated two units of counterfeit currency printing machines, the paper used for printing notes, 65 grams of brown sugar, 25 grams of other contraband drugs, from the incident site, added police.

The security personnel had taken the injured person to Belauri Primary Health Post for treatment where the body has been kept for post mortem.

The body will be handed over to the deceased's relatives once they come into contact with the police and following the completioon of necessary procedures.