India-Nepal border operations lead to drug seizures and convictions

Authorities in the India-Nepal border region have conducted several operations targeting narcotics smuggling. In Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) secured a conviction for Sunita Pun, a 31-year-old Nepali woman. Pun was sentenced to 12 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh for a 2017 case involving the seizure of 2.502 kg of opium concealed on her thigh.

In separate recent operations, police and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) teams seized 1.290 kg of opium and 25.9 grams of smack. During these actions, Manisha Budha Thoki, a 38-year-old from Nepal, was arrested at the Rupaidiha check post with opium valued at approximately Rs 15 lakh. Additionally, Subash Kumar Tharu was apprehended near Balaigaon with smack valued at roughly Rs 12 lakh. These seizures follow a previous operation where smack worth approximately Rs 2 crore was intercepted.