Damak, January 12:

Hooch is flowing by barrels in the three Bhutanese refugee camps here in Jhapa district and police have stepped up their vigil to prevent any untoward incident.

DSP of the Armed Police Force, Rajkumar Lamichhane, said many refugees were buying hooch from the open market and plying a trade of their own within the camps. "Over the last 15 days, we have seized hooch from the camps several times," he said. The Beldangi area police seized 300 litres of hooch from the Beldangi camp and destroyed it recently, he added.

According to UNHCR guidelines, brewing or selling liquor within the refugee camps is prohibited. However, police suspect that some refugees in the camps in Jhapa and Morang districts have set up stills on the sly and are making a quick buck by selling hooch.

Earlier also, police had

discovered a still and utensils for making liquor in the Beldangi camp. Locals said refugees in the camps in Jhapa and Morang were merrily flouting the UNHCR guidelines.

Yesterday, police swooped down on several CD shops in Bhedbari of Damak-5 and seized obscene videotapes and CDs.

Police confiscated four television sets, two DVD decks and remotes from four CD shops in the area. The proprietors of the shops have absconded and police are looking for them.