Shahjahanpur: Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has seized another consignment of clothes which was being smuggled on bicycles to Nepal from Sampoorna Nagar area of Lakhimpur Kheri district on Thursday. When confronted by SSB men, the smugglers left their consignment and fled. The cost the clothes seized is estimated at Rs 1 lakh.Smuggling of clothes, fertilizers and mobiles from India to Nepal is rampant through the forest area on the Indo-Nepal borders, SSB sources said. Earlier, traders from Lakhimpur Kheri, Shahjahanpur and nearby districts used to come to Gaurifanta market on the border to sell their goods to Nepalese citizens. However, the market was demolished by the forest department as the area is part of the reserve forest area. Since there is a huge market of Indian products in Dhangadi and other nearby towns of Nepal, people have started smuggling Indian goods on bicycles through secret routes in the forest, they added.The recent seizure was made near Basahi village of Sampoorna Nagar by the 39 Battalion of SSB, which has seized three consignments since July. The SSB has also seized a consignment of 2.5 kg of charas and had arrested two persons on September 25. A consignment of imported woolen clothes worth Rs1.68 crore was seized at pillar number 197 in Sampoorna Nagar in December last year.SSB media spokeperson Durgesh Paswan told TOI, “There have been many seizures of clothes and other Indian goods by 3 and 39 Batallions of SSB deployed on Indo-Nepal border in Lakhimpur Kheri district. We try to keep an eye on all suspected activities on the border to ensure that no one crosses the border without our knowledge."

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