Nepal’s Home Minister Sudan Gurung visited the Mechi and Kakarbhitta sections of the Indo–Nepal border on Monday, July 6, 2026, and ordered immediate, stricter enforcement of border rules after inspecting security installations, customs posts and local markets. During the visit he personally intervened over vehicles with Indian number plates parked in no-parking zones at the Kakarbhitta market, instructing traffic officers to impose on-the-spot fines and remove vehicles without permits.
Gurung reviewed overall border management with district security officials, focusing on smuggling, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other cross-border threats. He directed customs and law enforcement agencies to tighten valuation checks on goods and to crack down on the illegal storage of smuggled items in riverside warehouses.
At Bahundangi village the minister travelled to the Mechi riverbed in the vehicle of the Chief District Officer to assess the long-standing human‑elephant conflict. He spoke with villagers about their grievances and used binoculars to observe how elephant herds cross the border, underlining the need to factor wildlife movement into local security and community protection measures.
Gurung also inspected the Mechi Customs Office and the Kakarbhitta border point. To streamline border arrangements, he ordered the immediate removal of a temporary Armed Police Force (APF) camp at the Ittabhatta–Jorsimal section and called for reorganization of security deployments there.
The minister’s actions emphasized a twin focus on strengthening customs controls and improving day-to-day law enforcement — reducing vehicle-related harassment, removing illegal vehicles and closing gaps that enable smuggling. He held on-site discussions with villagers to record their concerns, signaling an intent to align security measures with local needs while tightening oversight along this key Indo–Nepal frontier.
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/gurung-visits-mechi-and-kakarbhitta-areas-of-indo-nepal-border
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