SARLAHI, SEPTEMBER 24
Smuggling of the goods via alternative border points has increased of late though major border points with India are closed due to COVID in Sarlahi.
Various goods such as clothes, food items, spare parts, cosmetic products and livestock are smuggled to Nepal by evading tax while liquor, diesel, petrol, boulder and sand are being exported to India. Locals say that smugglers are active at Sarlahi's Balara Laxmipur, Fenhara, Bahadurpur, Bahadurpur, Dhankaul, Malngawa's Jhim River banks, Tribhuvanagar, and Sangrampur.
"Illegal trade has grown massively in collusion with the security personnel," local said.
According to local Rajaram Singh, more than 50 buffaloes, clothes on up to 20 motorbikes, sugar, food items, are smuggled to Nepal via Sarlahi's Balara border point alone. Locals accuse police personnel of giving free pass to traders for the import and export of the goods taking money.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 25 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
