Rasuwagadhi Police Urge Traders to Pay Customs Duties for Imported Goods

Rasuwa. Nepal Police have urged traders and vehicle drivers importing goods through the Rasuwagadhi border point to clear them only after paying the mandatory customs duties. This appeal comes amid an increase in the smuggling of goods that are not legally permitted for import without completing the required legal procedures.

According to the District Police Office Chief Ashok Thapa, police have become active in stopping the practice where some traders use porters to ferry small quantities of goods across the Mitri Bridge multiple times to reach Timure, and then transport them via public vehicles to Trishuli and Kathmandu. He stated that drivers were requested not to carry illegal materials in their vehicles as such activities lead to tax evasion by the state.

Police reported that during vehicle inspections, incidents of concealing retail goods unusually have been found repeatedly, leading to the confiscation of such materials and their handover to the relevant authorities. It has been observed that individuals travel to Kerung in open trucks and, upon return, conceal various items such as Chinese cigarettes and liquor inside the empty spaces within electrical equipment loaded onto the vehicles.

Police stated that regular checks are being conducted on all vehicles, large and small, at the checkpoint, with special surveillance focused on potential hiding spots inside EV motors. From the beginning of the current fiscal year (Saun) until the end of Magh, the Armed Police Force handed over goods worth NPR 1.128 million on various dates, while Nepal Police handed over goods worth NPR 185,000.

Furthermore, Chief Customs Officer Tulsiprasad Bhattarai informed that the Customs Office seized illegal goods worth NPR 6.275 million. The police emphasized that drivers, traders, and concerned individuals will face action for carrying goods against the law and requested everyone to import and export goods strictly according to the standards set by the state.