KATHMANDU: A three-day Border Security Workshop organised by the Armed Police Force (APF) concluded in the capital yesterday. The workshop underlined the dire need of security presence along Nepal's border with China.

The workshop unanimously gave way to a charter of recommendations, saying that borders Nepal shared with India and China were in a need of additional strength of security personnel, adequate legal awareness and consolidated efforts to combat arms, cross-border crimes, drugs and human trafficking.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police, APF, Sanat Kumar Basnet said that the crux of the workshop would help the security forces deployed along the border to iron out confusions in course of duty and while fighting cross-border crimes.

"We are doing the groundwork for an innovative approach to protect our borders and combat criminal activities at the same time," claimed Basnet adding that plans were afoot to deploy APF along the northern border by April-May, 2010.

Nepal shares over 1,400 and 1,850 kilometres of border with China and India, respectively. The government, through legislation, had empowered APF to guard the country's border after the end of the insurgency. APF Border Security Offices, each manned by 237 APF personnel have been set up in 18 districts so far. Border experts, government officials and security agencies attended the workshop.