The District Administration Office in Bardiya has intensified security measures at the Nepal-India border checkpoints to curb the illegal smuggling of drugs from India.

Rudradevi Sharma, the Chief District Officer, stated that additional personnel have been deployed at the Ganeshpur and Futhaha checkpoints to prevent drug trafficking.

According to her, a three-month action plan, effective from 17 August, has been implemented to combat the growing issue of drug smuggling, including brown sugar, in Bardiya.

"Search operations will be conducted at the border points and other potential areas," Sharma said.

The Nepal-India border connected to Bardiya spans 83 kilometres, with Badhaiyatal Rural Municipality, Gulariya, Basgadhi, and Madhuwan Municipalities being the areas most affected by drug smuggling.

According to Superintendent of Police Praveen Dhital, 91 people, including three women, were arrested for drug smuggling in the fiscal year 2022/23, while the number rose to 207 people, including five women, in 2023/24.

Twenty-five individuals have already been arrested with brown sugar in the current fiscal year.