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Annual security talks to focus on border issues, trafficking
Cross-border crime and human trafficking will top Nepal’s agenda for the Indo-Nepali Home Secretary level meeting scheduled for September 6-7 in New Delhi.Cross-border crime and human trafficking will top Nepal’s agenda for the Indo-Nepali Home Secretary level meeting scheduled for September 6-7 in New Delhi.
“We will also focus on ways to combat drugs smuggling across the border and issues on embankment and inundation of Nepali villages,” said Yadav Koirala, spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Home Secretary Narayan Gopal Malego will lead the Nepali delegation to the annual meeting which will once again be focusing on ways to curb criminal activities taking place through porous border. Also, many Nepali women and children are being trafficked to a third country via New Delhi. On July 26 last year, 21 Nepali women, who were being trafficked into the UAE and other Gulf countries, were rescued from different hotels in the Indian capital and later repatriated to Nepal.
The New Delhi airport has been frequently used as a transit hub by criminals to traffic Nepali women to Sri Lanka and then to final destinations such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and African countries. An investigation by Indian police into last year’s trafficking case had also found involvement of an airline staffer.
“We are really concerned that Sri Lanka has been used as a new trafficking destination. And these people are taken from Nepal via New Delhi,” said Koirala. “Our priority will be to urge Indian officials to step up security at the Delhi airport.”
Indian side has also been urging Nepali officials to take strong measures to curb smuggling of fake Indian currency into India, which is likely to be another major agenda of the meeting.
Officials said the meeting will play a crucial role in preparing a framework to collaborate and work in different areas between the authorities of the two countries for the next one year.