Police seized a large amount of marijuana and hashish from Deuriya in Paterwa Sugauli Rural Municipality-5, Parsa district, on Tuesday. The security personnel also confiscated 11 machines along with 23 other tools used to refine the drugs.

According to Aashish Adhikari, inspector at the Area Police Office in Paterwa Sugauli, the security team has seized 178 kg marijuana, 75 kg marijuana dust, and 42 kg hashish.

Acting on a tip-off, police have intensified search operation in the area for the past five days. The security personnel raided several houses and recovered the drugs from four houses.

On Friday, police seized 384 kg marijuana and 10 kg hashish from the same village.

Parsa, a central Tarai district that borders with India, has been a transit point for drug smuggling in recent years. Smugglers supply narcotics to India through Parsa.

According to the District Police Office in Parsa, 820 kg marijuana and 465 kg hashish were confiscated from separate places in the district within the past year.

“Though Parsa does not produce marijuana, the district is used as a transit point by drug smugglers to sneak narcotics to India,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Anantar Ram Sharma.

“The smugglers transport marijuana and hashish from Makwanpur to Parsa through the forest of Parsa National Park. The drugs are then smuggled to India via Sonbarsha Village in Parsa,” said DSP Sharma.

Sixty-three people, including nine women, in the district were arrested for smuggling marijuana and hashish in the past year. Most of the smugglers, according to police, transport the drugs by making false bottom in trucks and other vehicles.

A security source said marijuana that cost Rs 5,000 in Makwanpur can cost upto Rs 10,000 in neighbouring Indian villages and towns.

The DPO said that it has intensified its security measures in the area to control the rampant smuggling of drugs.

“Besides security, awareness campaign against drug smuggling should be launched and coordination with the concerned stakeholders should be maintained to control the smuggling,” said DSP Sharma.