MUSTANG: Some 400 motorcycles of Chinese number plates are plying in Upper Mustang illegally for long due to lack of officials’ surveillance.

The Chinese motorcycles are operating in Lho Manthang, Chhoser, Chhonhup, Charrang, Surkhang and Ghami VDCs for years, it is said.

The local residents said that the motorcycles were brought in the villages as the Border Administration Office and Customs Office were centered only in the district headquarters.

Chief of Border Administration Office in Lho Manthang, Krishna Raj Dhakal, said that the locals of Upper Mustang buy the motorcycles without paying customs tax after selling their horses in the biannual trade fair being held between the traders of Upper Mustang and Chinese.

Dhakal added that efforts have been initiated to bring the illegally run motorcycles in the legal framework. “For this to happen, we have talked to the local residents in the first phase. We have targeted to complete the process by first week of September,” Dhakal claimed.

Dhakal said that the motorcycles would be seised and process for auction would be initiated if the motorcycle owners fail to pay the customs tax in the given timeframe.

The number of motorcycles has gone up in Mustang district with the opening of Kaligandaki corridor.