The Area Police Office in Kakarbhitta have said that Depo-Provera, injectable contraceptive, and contraceptive pills have been smuggled in a huge quantity from Nepal’s eastern border point into India.

​Deputy Superintendent of Police Durga Raj Regmi said they had recently seized 350 vials of Depo-Provera and 2,650 files of contractive pills from Nakalbanda Small Customs Point near Kakarbhitta. “On a tip off, we found that the contraceptives were being smuggled to India,” said Regmi.

According to police, Depo-Provera and contractive pills were brought from Butwal. These contraceptives have been provided free of cost to women by the state for the family planning purpose.

Police suspect that the smugglers might have been doing the illegal trade with the help of officials from the District Public Health Office. “We are holding a thorough investigation into the case,” said Superintendent of Police Shailesh Thapa in Jhapa.

Police said Nepali and Indian rackets have been active in smuggling contraceptives to Naxalbari, Darjeeling and Assam in India from Nepal. “As such contraceptives are much expensive in India, they are smuggled into India in huge quantities,” sources said.

Lekhnath Khatiwada, an auxiliary health worker of Kakarbhitta, said that there has been a shortage of contraceptives, including Depo-Provera and contraceptive pills, in Jhapa since the last three months.

“People are compelled to purchase these contraceptives at a higher price. Each Depo-Provera vile and a file of contraceptive pills cost Rs50 here,” he said.