Dozens of trucks laden with red sandalwood have slipped into Khasa, a bordering Chinese town, through Tatopani, a small business hub of Sindhupalchok district, in the last one week alone, locals said.[break]
They say the absence of the Tatopani police in-charge has also provided fertile ground for the revival of smuggling, which was almost controlled some time ago.
Prem Chanda, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Bagmati zone, admits the illegal trade of sandalwood is picking up in recent days, especially after the recent mass transfer of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSPs). “I have already instructed the new DSP deputed in Tatopani area to heighten vigilance,” SSP Chanda told Republica.
Earlier, smuggling of sandalwood into Khasa through Tatopani had virtually come to a standstill with police frequently seizing truckloads of precious herbs. However, the recent sharp rise in market prices of sandalwood has reenergized local smugglers to confront the risk of being arrested by police.
A kilogram of sandalwood, which costs around Rs 3,000 in Nepal, fetches up to Rs 9,000 in Chinese markets. A large chunk of red sandalwood, which is smuggled into China, comes from India. Local people say smugglers are exporting sandalwood under sacks of rice. Police personnel deployed at Tatoponi border do not properly check trucks that carry sandalwood.
Local youths of Tatopani area are helping sandalwood traders by safely escorting them into Khasa. They charge money from sandalwood traders in return. They do not face trouble from any of police units deployed along Araniko highway, raising suspicion about their nexus with police. However, SSP Chanda says he has not found proofs of any policeman´s involvement in smuggling.
“If some police man is helping sandalwood smugglers, I will not spare him,” he said.
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