Police have seized more than 74 quintals of betel nuts along with cardamom and cosmetic items from a house near the Dasgaja area [no man´s land] of Belhiya.
According to Deepak Neupane, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) at Rupandehi District Police Office, they have seized Rs 2.2 million worth of betel nuts and cardamom. [break]
A police team led by DSP Neupane after a tip-off had raided the house at around 9 pm Friday.
"There were 124 sacks of betel nuts, 80 kg of cardamom and Rs 5,000,00 worth of Fair & Lovely cream inside the house. We believe that these goods were imported to Nepal from the third countries for smuggling into India," said Neupane.
Neupane informed that the seized items will be handed over to the Department of Revenue Investigations Butwal on Sunday.
Imports from third countries cannot be exported again as a business transaction, according to international conventions.
"Due to the open border, many unscrupulous businessmen and locals engage in such illegal business activities," said Superintendent of Police, Bikram Sah.
Meanwhile, some businessmen staged protests from early Saturday claiming that the seized items were meant for Nepali market.
"Those products were never meant to be smuggled to India. We were planning to sell them in Nepali market and nowhere else," said Dash Baniya, one of the protesting businessmen.
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