Kathmandu, May 17: The Mustang Customs Office, located at Chhoser Nhechung in Lomanthang-1 along the Nepal–China Korala border point, seized 592 cartons of electronic cigarettes (vapes) on Saturday.
The large quantity of electronic cigarettes was discovered during a search of two cargo containers that had allegedly been brought in secretly through customs evasion from the Korala border pass.
According to the Mustang Customs Office in Korala, the cargo containers with registration numbers Na 6 Kha 4743 and Na 5 Kha 7921, which had been loaded from the Chinese customs point in Korala two days earlier, had remained stationed at the Korala border point until Saturday evening.
Taking advantage of the public holiday on Saturday, when customs staff had gone to watch the Tiji Festival in Lomanthang, the two containers allegedly attempted to bypass customs and head toward Lomanthang. They were intercepted under the supervision of customs officials and security agencies.
Customs officials and security personnel had acted after receiving confidential information that the containers were illegally transporting concealed electronic cigarettes.
According to the customs office, each carton contained 220 vape units. Based on this figure, authorities estimate that the two trucks were carrying more than 120,000 electronic cigarettes (vapes) in total.
The customs office stated that preparations are underway to officially document the seized quantity and estimate its total value in the presence of local representatives and security officials.
The drivers of the containers, Santosh Lama and Phontoj Dorje, have been taken into custody, and further investigation has begun, according to Santosh Basyal, Information Officer and Police Inspector at the District Police Office.
Sources in Korala said the two containers carrying the illegal goods had remained suspiciously parked near Border Pillar No. 24 at the Nepal–China Korala border for two days.
After the two containers loaded with goods from Chinese customs entered Nepal but did not proceed downhill from the border point, customs authorities had increased surveillance.
Sources also said the smuggling network involved in illegally transporting vapes had allegedly prepared fake documents to show to Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel.
Earlier, on Poush 9 of the current fiscal year, authorities had also seized 16,000 electronic cigarettes (vapes) worth Rs 22.4 million from the Korala border point.
Similarly, last year, a joint team of customs and security agencies seized electronic cigarettes worth Rs 68.1 million that had entered through the Korala border.
People’s News Monitoring Service.
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