Kathmandu, April 4
Police have impounded a tourist bus used to smuggle contraband, including red sandalwood, to Kathmandu from Delhi of India.
Acting on a tip-off that some Kathmandu-Delhi-Kathmandu tourist buses were smuggling red sandalwood and ready-made garments to Kathmandu by evading customs, Metropolitan Police Range intercepted a bus (Na 4 Kha 4516) loaded with red sandalwood, various items made of the precious wood and ready-made garments, in Kalanki, yesterday. The bus was en route to Kathmandu from Delhi.
Police said Jhilkeman Rumba, 41, of Kavre and Sujan Pun, 25, of Rupandehi were also arrested with the contraband. Rumba is the driver of the bus and Pun his helper. An official informed that the bus owner had been absconding. “We have identified the bus owner and a manhunt has been launched to nab him,” he said.
Vessels and bowls made of red sandalwood weighing 10.7 kg, 470 gram prayer beads and 11 kg wood in addition to ready-made garments worth around Rs 2.5 million were confiscated from the bus. The seized items were found to have been concealed in the false bottom on the hood of the bus. Police said the red sandalwood and goods made of it were referred to District Forest Office, Kathmandu, for legal action while the garments were sent to Department of Revenue Investigation.
Meanwhile, MPR has directed all police units in Kathmandu to keep constant vigil on cross-border tourist vehicles to ensure that they are not used to smuggle any contraband to and from Nepal.
Red sandalwood is an aromatic tropical hardwood tree which is endemic to southern India. This species does not naturally grow in Nepal. Red sandalwood is listed under Appendix II of the CITES to which Nepal is a party. Because of its aromatic, favourable coloration and high density wood, this species has been among the most priced wood for furniture due to its rarity, according to various studies. Demand for the species is high in modern China.
A version of this article appears in print on April 05, 2018 of The Himalayan Times.