In the Mahottari district, Bardibas has grown to be a center for smuggling drugs into Nepal. Drugs and marijuana are being trafficked through Nepal’s hills into India, and prescription drugs from India are being brought into Kathmandu. Smugglers see the town as a prime spot now that the BP Highway is in place, as storage units are found all over the area.
Officials have come across drugs in places such as homes, schools, and vehicles, and in many cases, these places involve students. Police have confiscated more than 135 quintals of marijuana since starting these operations across Madhesh Province in the last 10 months. According to officials, because the border is easy to cross, goods move speedily, and local support is growing, this problem is becoming more severe.