(NEPAL- CH): 7 tons of sandalwood seized

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Link: http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?nid=107140

 

 

 

Kantipur Report

 

KATHMANDU, April 19 - About seven tons of red sandalwood being

smuggled to China via Tatopani customs was seized at Shimle of Sanga

Chowk VDC of Sindupalchowk district on Wednesday.

According to District Police Office (DPO), Sindhupalchowk, 6600

kilograms of red sandalwood loaded inside sacks of beaten rice and

dust in a truck was on the way to Tatopani.

 

" Red sandalwood was seized after investigating the truck with a new

number plate, " said Yuv Narayan Baidhya, police inspector of Barabise

Area Police. " The number plate was sticky, " he said. The truck's

original number plate Na 2 Kha 3634 was changed to Na 2 Kha 9575 at

Shimle, three kilometers from Dolalghat, according to police.

 

Truck driver Tilak Karki has been arrested. According to him, the red

sandalwood was supposed to reach the godown at Dolalghat and was

later to be exported to Tatopani, " Karki said.

 

To clear the way, the smugglers had mobilized many local youths and

distributed money to them. " About Rs 350,000 was spent for local

youths starting from Jiro Kilo of Kavre district to Dolalghat, "

according to a local involved in the team. " Though my team got Rs

200,000 for clearance, I got only Rs 1,700, " he said.

 

Though informed about the incident, reporters who were following the

truck could not reach it. According to sources, five other loaded

trucks passed through Tatopani customs and headed for the China

border on Tuesday night. On Tuesday morning, Chandra Man Dongol,

Assistant District Forest Officer of Kathmandu and Bikrant Yadav,

personal secretary of Forest Minister Matrika Yadav had visited

Dolalghat.

 

 

 

Posted on: 2007-04-18 22:45:34 (Server Time)