RAUTAHAT: A team of the Armed Police Force on Thursday night confiscated a truckload of smuggled clothes from Chandranigahapur in Rautahat.

According to DSP Nirakar Shukla of APF Santapur base camp, Methur Jaisawal of Sarlahi and Govind Adhikari of Nuwakot were trying to smuggle the apparels worth over Rs 5 million. “They were perhaps taking those apparels to the capital when we acted on a tip-off and got hold of the truck,” said DSP Shukla, adding that the police team from APF temporary forest post of Chandranigahapur had intercepted the truck.

The customs clearance letters for the consignment were found to be backdated by five months. “As the letters were backdated, we have suspected that the smugglers might be working in cahoots with customs officials,” informed DSP Shukla.

The truck, its driver Suraj Yadav, 28, and Sanjaya Yadav of Sarlahi were handed over to Central Regional Unit Revenue Office of Pathalaiya for investigation and necessary action today.

Meanwhile, Sarlahi Customs Chief Tirthraj Paswan said that no truck bound for Kathmandu had cleared the customs on Thursday. “We did not issue a clearance letter for any truck carrying apparels on Thursday, though we did do that for the orders of some traders of Malangawa the same day,” Paswan said. He, however, did not rule out possible irregularities from the customs officials in the district.

“There are altogether seven entry points in Sarlahi and the officials might be misconducting from any of those points. A meeting of the district revenue committee is scheduled to convene in a few days to discuss the matter,” informed the DSP.