Nepalgunj, January 30:

Condoms are a new addition to the items that are smuggled out to India from Nepal.

These are distributed free of cost in Nepal and are smuggled to India for sale. After the revelation about the smuggling, Indian police have listed condom smuggling as a crime and banned entry of condoms from Nepal to India.

The Indian police took the move after they found two suitcases full of condoms during a search at the railway station in the Indian town of Rupaidiha near the Nepal-India border recently. In-charge at Rupaidiha Police station, Ram Ekwal, said smuggling of free condoms from Nepal has been registered as a crime (Regd. No 34/09) and checking at the border post had been intensified to prevent the smuggling.

Sixteen-year-old Salim of Rupaidiha said he was into the business of smuggling condoms from Nepal and selling them in Indian villages for a long time.

He said condoms were available free of cost in Nepal’s government health institutions and NGOs and that he sold each piece at IRs 2 after taking them to the Indian side of the border. Though Indian police have registered the act of condom smuggling as a crime, Nepali authorities have not done anything to control the smuggling yet.

Chief of Banke district public health office, Kehar Singh Godar, admitted that condom distribution was not systematic and condoms distributed free of cost were being misused. He said efforts were being made to systematize the condom distribution. Besides all government health posts in the district, over 50 health-related NGOs distribute the condoms for free with a view to promoting family planning and encouraging safe sex.