Garlic smuggling continues, warehouse raided

Garlic smuggling through the Indian border at Nawalparasi continues unabated, with an increase in the smuggling of Chinese garlic from Nepal to India. On Monday, a team from the Revenue Investigation Office in Butwal seized over 11,000 kg of garlic during a raid on a warehouse at the border post following complaints of increased smuggling. The investigation is ongoing, according to the Revenue Office. Smuggling has risen as garlic fetches a higher price in India, selling for Rs 30 to 40 per kg. Garlic is being sent to India from Bujhawa, Basaiya, Germi, and other points in the district.

Traders have registered firms near Dashagaja in the border area, building large warehouses under the firm's name to store garlic and other goods. Much of the garlic purchased in Nepal is billed and stored, creating a legal challenge for security officers trying to arrest those involved in smuggling. The garlic is reportedly sent to India at night, crossing Dashagaja, just 50 meters away. 

SP Gyanendra Phuyal, head of the District Police Office in Nawalparasi, said that while authorities receive information about garlic stored in warehouses at the border, the presence of a bill makes it difficult to make arrests. “We get information that goods are coming, but when we check, there is a bill. It’s a legal issue, as it’s permitted to take the goods to the firm near Dashagaja,” Phuyal said.

Smuggling has reportedly been encouraged by revenue office teams who sometimes leave without checking the details of purchases and sales, despite posing as bill collectors. “It’s clear where the goods have gone by looking at the bill and the sales account, but failure to check increases suspicion of the raiding teams,” said a police officer.

SP Phuyal suggested that preventing smuggling would be easier if goods were required to be stored at least 500 meters to one kilometer from the Nepal-India border. Armed Police Force SP Prakash Wagle noted that they have been unable to enforce this as the revenue office holds the authority to raid warehouses and inspect bills.

There are reportedly more than 20 registered firms near Dashagaja in the district, many of which are illegally sending goods to India under the guise of legitimate firms. On Monday, a team from the Revenue Office, with the help of the Armed Police and Customs Office, raided a warehouse in Pratappur Rural Municipality-5, Basaiya. During the raid, 119 quintals of garlic were found in the warehouse of local Ajay Harijan, according to Manoj Sahni, branch officer of the revenue office. “We’ve requested the bill. The auditor claimed he will bring it later. We’ve issued a written order to submit the documents to the office by Thursday,” said Sahni.