While India has set 12 security checkpoints from Tanakpur to Dharchula, Nepal has only two check posts between Darchula and Dadeldhura- Tatapani in Dadeldhura and Dumling in Darchula. India has a checkpoint in every 3 kilometers but these two Nepali check posts are located at a distance of 50 kilometers.Locals claim that lack of security and custom check points along bordering areas have been a boon for smugglers. There's no presence of security forces at all in Jogbuda, Shirsha and Rupal of Dadeldhura district, in Mahakali, Pancheshwor, Girgida Aamchora, Rodidewal of Baitadi district. Similarly many border areas of Darchula also don't have security or custom check posts.
"On the Indian side, there's SSB in every step. Look at our side, we have only two check points at a distance of 50 kilometers," said Nabaraj Paneru, a teacher at Kailpal Primary School, in Sirsa VDC. "It is easy for smugglers to carry herbs and animal parts through the border. Of late, huge amount of timber is also being openly smuggled across the borders," he added.
Several types of herbs including Ritha, Tejpat, Sungabha, Allo, Bishjara, Sugandhawal, Kaulo, Bhidate, Lokta, Jhyau and Jiwanti, among others, are generally in high demand in the Indian market.
The government has allowed transaction of no more than 20 types of herbs. However, the law is being openly flaunted by smugglers, said Chandra Dev Bohora, president of Federation of Community Forest Consumers' group in Dadeldhura. "Herbs worth millions of rupees are smuggled everyday due to lack of security forces' presence along the border area," he said adding that lack of security forces has escalated smuggling in the region.
Prem Ballav, an Indian herb trader, informed that Yarshagumba is most demanded herbs, among other Nepali herbs. "Herbs like Sungabha, Bishjara, Sugandhawal, Pasangdev, Simjara, Bhidate and Jiwanti are carried out from the hills. But Yarshagumba is highly demanded," he said.
Laxmi Joshi, assistant District Forest Officer at Dadeldhura however stated his office was not aware of such activities taking places in the bordering areas of the district while conceding that if smuggling of herbs on large scale, "certainly affects the revenue collection." He asserted that such activities could be only controlled "only if all the stakeholders are ready to help".
A forest official however claimed that around Rs 200 million worth herbs are smuggled across the border annually. He also informed that these herbs are collected by traders from villages as the villagers generally don't travel to district headquarters for selling them due to difficulties in transportation. "Smugglers know this difficulty villagers face and they reach out to them and buy herbs from them at cheap rates," said the official, requesting anonymity.
Locals claim that smuggling of herbs is rampant in five VDCs of Dadeldhura, 12 VDCs of Baitadi and 13 VDCs of Darchula and asserted that implementation of provisions to document transactions of herb trade with India could deter their smuggling across the border.
This has affected legal herbal businesses. "Though we are into the herbs trading business legally, herbs smugglers get more business than us," Surendra Bhatta, a herb trader said. "Even if the smugglers get caught by security or custom officials, they produce evidence that show the cargo was produced in some Tarai and easily get across the border."
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