KATHMANDU, June 30: Authorities in Rasuwa seized illegal goods worth more than Rs 35.17 million during the first nine months of the current fiscal year as part of a joint campaign to curb revenue leakage and smuggling.
The Rasuwa Customs Office, the District Police Office, and the Armed Police Force made the seizures between mid-July and mid-April, according to officials.
Customs Information Officer Karbir Gaire said the Customs Office conducted 15 operations, the District Police Office carried out 19, and the Armed Police Force's No. 20 Battalion conducted 23 raids and inspections at various locations.
Illegal goods imported from India seized
The confiscated items included chocolates, pickles, sauces used for instant noodles, readymade garments, rolls of fabric, coffee, children's toys, thermos flasks, vapes, cigarettes and other goods. More than 80 percent of the seized items were food products, the Customs Office said.
Gaire said security personnel initially assess the value of confiscated goods based on prevailing market prices. The final valuation, however, is determined after food quality testing, international market price assessments and a decision by the official valuation committee. Saleable goods are auctioned, while items deemed unfit for consumption are destroyed in the presence of representatives from the concerned authorities.
According to Rasuwa Police Chief Ashok Thapa, police have intensified patrols, vehicle inspections and intelligence-based operations to detect illegal goods. All confiscated items are immediately handed over to the Customs Office for legal action.
In a separate case, Rasuwa Police arrested an ambulance driver from Aamachhodingmo Rural Municipality on March 19 after discovering that Chinese cigarettes were being smuggled in an ambulance transporting patients. The driver was later released on bail after completing legal procedures, and the ambulance was returned to the rural municipality, the Customs Office said.
Customs officials said joint monitoring and inspection by security agencies and customs authorities will be further strengthened to curb illegal imports and prevent revenue leakage.
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