Shashi Dhungel

Kathmandu, May 9:

Despite efforts by the Department of Custom (DoC), the incidents of large-scale smuggling continues to rise in the country. The amount of goods being confiscated by the custom offices during the first eight months of the current fiscal hints at this fact.

Goods confiscated in the first eight months of the current fiscal year from the major custom offices in the country alone has already reached Rs 30.94 million.

The value of confiscated goods is bound to increase as DoC is yet to receive figures from some custom offices. At this rate, at the end of 12 month, the figure should be way beyond

last year’s total of Rs 65.76 million.

Goods worth Rs 60.54 million were confiscated in fiscal year 2000-01 which came down to Rs 58.86 million in fiscal year 2001-02. This figure stood at to Rs 50.16 million in 2002-03 which has shot up to Rs 65.76 million in 2003-04.

Birgunj Custom Offices has been the best performer under this parameter. Goods worth Rs 17.37 million has been seized at the custom office in 2003-04.

During the first eight months of the current fiscal year, confiscated goods amounted to Rs 6.45 million.

Mechi Custom Office recorded the second highest figures in confiscated goods in 2003-04. Goods amounting to Rs 11 million was seized. It has netted goods worth Rs 5.03 million in the first five months of the current fiscal year.

The Rajbiraj Custom Office seized 14 vehicles worth Rs 4.49 million in 2000-01. The number of vehicles seized in the fiscal year 2003-04 was 22 which had been valued at Rs 6.89 million. The Rajbiraj Custom Office has so far not recorded a single catch in the current fiscal year.

The amount of goods confiscated at Tatopani Custom Office however has declined sharply.

The Tatopani Custom Office which seized goods worth Rs 21.89 million in 2000-01 scaled down its catch to Rs 3.03 million in 2001-02. This figure has been Rs 4.44 million in 2002-03 which has further dropped to Rs 562,178 in 2003-04.

Goods confiscated in the first five months of the current fiscal year amounted to Rs 13,629. Custom offices at Gaur, Kanchanpur, Kailali and Tatopani lie at the bottom half of the

custom offices ranked as per the amount of goods confiscated.