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Banned lichen seized
Police seized 13 tonnes of wild lichen from a godown belonging to Mohammad Yakub Ansari in Nepalgunj, Banke.Thakursingh Tharu
Police seized 13 tonnes of wild lichen from a godown belonging to Mohammad Yakub Ansari in Nepalgunj, Banke.
A joint police team of Mid-West Regional Police Office and Central Investigation Bureau raided the godown and seized the lichen. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Madhav Nepal said 542 sacks of wild lichen were seized from the godown.
Security personnel also nabbed Ansari, chairman of Nepal Medicinal Herbs Entrepreneurs Association, for further investigation. “The government has banned the trade of lichen in the country for past five years. We have handed over the seized wild lichen and the suspect to the District Forest Office,” said DIG Nepal.
However, Ansari said he had to store the wild lichen after the government banned its sale. “I bought them according to the legal procedure in 2010,” said Ansari.
Police informed that wild lichen is highly demanded in India to make spices and also has medicinal value.