It is concerning to note that the smuggling of marijuana from Nepal’s hill districts to India via the porous border in Madhesh districts has been on the rise lately. The recent incident in Siraha, where a large quantity of this illegal drug was seized by chance following a car accident, shows how the illicit business of contraband drugs is growing—with or without the notice of police. This situation is attributed to poor law enforcement and border surveillance, mainly along the porous Nepal-India border. The failure to check cross-border contraband drug smuggling demands urgent and decisive actions from the government. It is important to acknowledge that drug smuggling is not limited to a law enforcement issue. This can have broader implications, with the potential of Nepal’s reputation falling under global scrutiny.
Reports suggest that districts such as Udayapur, Makawanpur, and Dhading have recently emerged as key production hubs for marijuana. Police investigations have revealed that these districts produce a large quantity of the marijuana being smuggled across India. One of the main reasons behind the growing drug trafficking appears to be the attractive financial incentives the smugglers get. While this contraband drug fetches up to a maximum of Rs 4,000 per kilogram in Nepal, it brings around Rs 25,000 per kilogram in India. The financial incentive, along with the open international border with little or no presence of security personnel, has made it easy for traffickers to engage in this illegal business. The failure of law enforcement agencies to apprehend those involved in this racket seems to have further contributed to this illegal business. The recent seizure of 130 kilograms of the drug in Siraha is just a case in point. The ‘lucky’ interception following a car accident shows the gravity of the problem. Although police personnel were able to make the ‘lucky’ interception, they have failed to arrest the mastermind behind the smuggling racket. This highlights the weaknesses both on both intelligence gathering and policing fronts to control the smuggling.
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The porous border creates significant challenges in checking cross-border smuggling between Nepal and India. Efforts to curb smuggling become additionally challenging as smugglers often use roads that are not monitored. As reports indicate, the collusion of police personnel with smugglers cannot be ruled out. This situation demands the government take a multi-pronged strategy without any further delay. It is high time the government worked towards enhancing the operational efficiency of police personnel deployed along the border. They should be provided with better training and resources. It is equally important to introduce stricter penalties for those involved in drug trafficking. The current trend of arresting only low-level operatives while allowing the masterminds to go scot-free is less likely to contain the smuggling. Security officials also need to work towards ensuring collaboration with their Indian counterparts and conducting joint operations to disrupt the smuggling routes and arrest the traffickers. Above all, the government agencies concerned must also consider organizing public awareness campaigns and promoting alternative livelihoods for farmers involved in illicit cultivation. These measures would help reduce the supply of marijuana at its source and eventually help control cross-border smuggling. As the failure to check cross-border smuggling of illegal drugs is also linked to the country’s reputation on the global stage, the government must act swiftly and decisively to address this growing problem.
