“Police confiscated the fertilizer after receiving information that it was being imported by a person not included in the list of importers working in collusion with the police,” a source told myrepublica.com. [break]
Following seizure of the fertilizer, some 50 smugglers had manhandled Armed Police Force (APF) Inspector Arjun Rokka of APF base camp Belauri to get back their fertilizer and snatched a gun and its magazine from him. They returned the gun only after the APF released the fertilizer.
The smugglers shut down Belauri bazaar for one hour, stating that police restricted the import of fertilizer meant for farmers.
However, Inspector Rokka denied seizure of the gun and said farmers encircled the camp upon confiscation of the fertilizer, an item banned for export by India.
A trader said they regularly pay a levy to the Nepal police, the APF and customs officials to ensure unhindered cross-boarder transport of goods smuggled from India.
Belauri has the highest incidence of smuggling among customs offices in Kanchanpur and Kailali districts. The activities of smugglers intensify in the night in the absence of security personnel at border points.
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