Two women arrested for smuggling cannabis

Pithoragarh, Aug 31 (PTI) Two Nepalese women were todayarrested after over 8 kgs of cannabis was allegedly seizedfrom their possession at Indo-Nepal border post at Banbasa inChampawat district here. Asha Pun (36) and Man Kumari (38), belonging toKapilbastu and Rupendehi districts of Nepal, were arrested bythe Sashstra Seema Bal (SSB). Each of them were caught carrying over 4.25 kgs ofcannabis tightly packed to their waists, said Gautam Sagar, aSSB officer at the Banbasa border post. "After quizing them about the network of cannabissmugglers across the border, we handed them over to Champawatpolice," he added. According to a SSB source at Banbasa, with this seizure,a total of 13.1 kg of cannabis has been seized from smugglersbelonging to the neighbouring country. "Only last week, we seized over 4.6 kg of charas from acouple, who were carrying the drugs on their motorbike," thesource added. Champawat SP D S Kunwar said the women have been bookedunder various sections of Narcotic Drugs and PsychotropicSubstances (NDPS) Act and sent to jail. The arrest comes just a day after the meeting between therepresentatives of bordering districts of India and Nepal,where they agreed to cooperate with each other to stopincreasing number of smuggling activities at this part ofIndo-Nepal border. "We have been instructed to run a information basedcampaign to control the narcotics and drug smugglers at thispart of Indo-Nepal border," said K C Rana, commandant of 57thbattalion of SSB at Banbasa border post. (PTI) CORR RB RT RBARK