Tatopani seizes goods worth 10 m this year

SINDUPALCHOWK, July 15: Tatopani Customs Office has seized Rs 10 million worth of goods being smuggled to Nepal over the past eleven months of the current fiscal year.



The largest customs on the northern border collected revenue of Rs 8.2 million by auctioning the confiscated goods. [break]



Customs officials said goods worth Rs 15 million were seized while being smuggled during the same period last year.



The customs office has been stepping up the revenue and security patrols to check smuggling rampant on the border. Smuggling continues unabated even after the government made it mandatory to fill customs declaration form for imports of goods priced over Rs 100.



Customs officials have, however, claimed that smuggling has gradually been brought under control with the setting up of a temporary customs check post manned by Armed Police personnel at Adheri of Araniko Highway.



The check post had seized goods worth Rs 5.3 million from smugglers and handed them over to the customs office during the period.



Nirmal Hari Adhakari, chief of the customs office, said smugglers have switched to other ways to evade customs duty after the government tightened the screw on them.

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