Nepal identifies terrorism-related acts along Indian border

Nepal's security agencies have identified more than 18 types of crimes, including terrorist activities linked to international criminal gangs, existing on its porous border with India.
More than one an half a dozen types of criminal activities take place along the border between the two countries and many of them are linked to international criminal gangs, senior security expert Govinda Kusum, who is also the former Home Secretary, said.
These criminal activities include human trafficking, arms smuggling, drugs trafficking, unauthorised trade, counterfeit currency, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, etc, he said while speaking at an interaction programme here yesterday.
The Nepalese Home Ministry in a report has found the crimes involving international gangs are related to terrorist acts such as bomb blasts, etc.

The finding comes soon after Lashkar-e-Taiba bomb-maker Abdul Karim Tunda and Yasin Bhatkal, a founder of the terrorist outfit Indian Mujahideen, were arrested on Indo-Nepal border in quick succession.
A team of Nepalese experts recently studied the situation of crime in the border areas, following which a Cross-Border Crime Control Action Plan 2013 was prepared and enforced.

The study revealed that nexuses exist among underground armed outfits of Nepal, India and the international criminal groups.
According to the action plan, records of criminal groups active in the border area will be maintained by stepping up coordination among all security bodies.

"Criminal groups always attempt to disrupt law and order situation. It is our duty that we thwart their ill attempt. Maintaining security of Nepal and reducing cross-border crime is our prime goal," former home secretary Kusum said.
He said the state alone cannot enforce security along the border area without involving local people.
"The government has worked out plans to depute special forces in the open border to monitor and control criminal activities."
The two countries should cooperate and work in close coordination to check cross-border criminal activities, top security officials of Nepal suggested.
There is also a bilateral security coordination committee to monitor the criminal activities, they said.

The programme was organised to discuss ways to improve security situation in the border area ahead of the upcoming Constituent Assembly elections in November.
In view of the upcoming election, the Home Ministry has implemented the Cross-Border Crime Control Action Plan to check election related criminal activities along the 1700 km long open borders, according to Ministry sources.