Nepal and India have agreed to strengthen cooperation and share intelligence to prevent criminal activities, smuggling and other cross-border offences.

The agreement was reached at the 10th deputy inspector general-level coordination meeting between the Armed Police Force (APF), Nepal, and India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), held in Lumbini on Monday.

The two sides also agreed to coordinate efforts to ensure the timely repair and maintenance of border pillars and to combat human trafficking, the smuggling and circulation of counterfeit currency, and drug trafficking. They will also work together to monitor and prevent nationals of third countries from entering Nepal illegally.

The meeting was organised by the APF’s Vindhyabasini Brigade Headquarters in Kapilvastu. It was led by Deputy Inspector General Deepak Adhikari, chief of the Vindhyabasini Brigade, while the Indian delegation was led by Deputy Inspector General B Vikraman of the SSB’s Sector Headquarters in Lakhimpur Kheri.

The meeting was attended by chiefs of APF battalions in districts bordering India in Lumbini province, as well as Deputy Inspector General Deepak Barnwal of the SSB’s Gorakhpur Sector Headquarters. Battalion commanders from five battalions each under the Gorakhpur and Lakhimpur Kheri sector headquarters also took part.

The two sides discussed conducting joint patrols along the no-man’s-land and continuing sports and other social activities to strengthen ties between the forces. They also reviewed the agenda of the ninth coordination meeting, held at India’s Integrated Check Post in Rupaidiha on May 5 and discussed the implementation of agreed measures and strategies for future cooperation.

Adhikari said both sides had made concrete commitments to implement the issues discussed at the meeting, adding that this would help ensure more effective and results-oriented cooperation.

He also thanked the Indian government for its support following the Bhotekoshi floods and the SSB for helping search for bodies swept away by the river and facilitating the handover of those recovered.

Vikraman said the two sides should establish an informal mechanism for information sharing at the brigade level and work towards digital border management.