A container van carrying red sandalwood to China made it through one-and-a-half dozen security checkpoints before being seized near Tatopani customs. Sources say the police seized the red sandalwood after Maoist workers, whom the smugglers did not pay the demanded sum, tipped off the police.[break]
Those who invested in the red sandalwood are now in tears. According to a source, a group of 160 youths had smuggled the red sandalwood that far. For buying it, they had spent between Rs 150,000 to Rs 2.5 million each.
“Sensing the possibility of good returns, some had even sold their wives´ ornaments to buy the seized red sandalwood,” said a trader at Tatopani.
The youths, who are from Khadichowr, Lamosanghu, Bahrabise, and Tatopani, are not seen in their villages these days. Things started falling apart after the youths disputed over the number of ´investors´. Some argued that the number of investors should be cut down.
“Eventually, this dispute invited Maoists and finally the police,” one of the youths said.
The group had been smuggling red sandalwood to Tibet twice a month.
In this particular case, Maoist workers had demanded five million rupees. The smugglers weren´t willing to part with more than four million rupees. Eventually, the disgruntled Maoists tipped off the police.
On Friday, a group of youth threatened Maoist lawmaker Raj Kumar Shrestha at Sukute, accusing him of assisting the seizure.
Ever since the seizure, family members of those whose money went down the drain have been obstructed the highway almost daily. On Saturday evening, they stopped a police patrol at Bahrabise.
Police spokesperson Nawaraj Dhakal has warned of action against police personnel involved in the smuggling. DSP Dhakal has been enquiring with district police chiefs of Bhaktapur, Kavre and Sindhupalchowk how the container made that far.
Bhaktapur police has prepared a report over the incident. According to the report, the container was empty when it was inspected at Jagati check post.
Meanwhile, Kavre police have set up a check post at Dhulikhel to check smuggling of sandalwood. The police post was set up last Thursday, according to DSP Rabindra Dhanuk, Kavre´s police chief. The post had been deserted during the insurgency for security reasons.
Red sandalwood smuggling nearly stopped two-and-a-half years ago after a sharp decline in its market price. Back then, price of the item dropped from Rs 3,000 per kilogram to Rs 700. However, the price is now reached Rs 7,000 to Rs 9,000 per kilogram in China.
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