A police team on Sunday raided Umesh Sahani’s house in the Malahi settlement of Parsa. The security personnel seized 10kg marijuana and a cash of Rs 148,000 and IRs 20,000. Sahani is at large.

The District Police Office in Parsa, in a bid to control the production and smuggling of drugs, is preparing to take the harshest measure—confiscation of Sahani’s house and property.

“The legal process to confiscate the house and properties of Sahani is underway. It is possibly the strongest action to be taken on a drug case in the district. Such action will discourage other drug smugglers as well,” said Gautam Thapa, deputy superintendent of police. He asserted that the police administration will be taking strong action against drug smugglers to curb the illegal activity in the district.

“Most drug smugglers run away and hide, so the next step for the police is to confiscate their belongings to deter them from committing the crime again,” said Thapa.

According to Thapa, clause 6 of the Narcotic Drugs (Control) Act 1976 clearly states that the authority can seize the house and vehicle used in the smuggling and transportation of drugs.

Sahani, according to police, is a notorious drug smuggler involved in the crime for the past few years. Police have charged him of smuggling marijuana and other drugs to bordering Indian markets.

The cultivation and smuggling of marijuana and other drugs are unchecked in Parsa, a central Tarai district bordering with India. A security source said smugglers have been using Parsa as a transit point to smuggle drugs produced in Makwanpur and Dhading to India.

Each year, the local administration launches a drive to destroy marijuana farms and detain the producers and smugglers, but to no avail. Police destroyed marijuana crops planted in 29 katthas of land, seized 392kg marijuana and arrested 25 people within the past six months. Last fiscal year, police destroyed marijuana planted in 50 katthas of land.

Induced by drug smugglers, some local farmers plant marijuana in the middle of their sugarcane fields and in public land to avoid getting caught, said police.