Vape smuggling tarnishes Tatopani border point's image

By Chitra Mijar,Sindhupalchok, May 17: The Tatopani border point, the country’s largest northern trade gateway with China, continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. Once notorious for the trafficking of red sandalwood, gold, rare herbs and even rhino horns, the checkpoint has now earned infamy for the rampant smuggling of electronic cigarettes, commonly known as vapes, to Nepal. 

Despite an official ban imposed by the Ministry of Health and Population in April 2024 prohibiting the import of electronic cigarettes, illicit trade through the Tatopani border has surged, operating brazenly in plain sight. 

Transport companies and business entities linked to the border have been implicated in this illegal operation, with growing suspicions of collusion within the Tatopani Customs Office itself.

In a recent incident in mid-March, 36 cartons of illegal vapes, part of a consignment of 990 units under customs surveillance, mysteriously disappeared from Tatopani Customs. 

These vapes had been imported in a container by Silk Transport, which had formally requested the customs to safeguard the consignment. 

Instead of seizing the unauthorised goods, the then-Customs Chief Kamal Kumar Bhattarai facilitated their storage under government protection, raising eyebrows about the integrity of the office.

Following the theft, customs officials arrested three staff members on March 23. However, questions remain unanswered: How did Silk Transport manage to import vapes without legal clearance? 

Why did customs opt to store the contraband items instead of confiscating them? Allegations of collusion between Bhattarai and Silk Transport have prompted the Customs Department to recall him from duty. Bhattarai has since been replaced by Rajendra Chudal, former Chief of Mechi Customs.

Further developments revealed a broader smuggling network. In December 2024, authorities from the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) confiscated over 86,000 vapes, worth more than Rs. 250 million, from Silk Transport’s warehouse in Imadol, Lalitpur. Two employees were arrested in the case. 

Investigations showed that a significant portion of these vapes had passed through the Tatopani checkpoint, reinforcing suspicions of systemic malpractice. Silk's director, Bijay Sherpa, mediated for the release of the arrested employee, arranging a bank guarantee of Rs. 201.6 million, further confirming the company’s direct involvement. 

The company's chairman, Ramesh Sherpa, resident of Gati, Sindhupalchok, is Bijay’s brother-in-law. Following the December seizure, Ramesh has remained out of the public eye.

On March 20, 2025, police seized 740 vape units and detained the driver of the container truck Na 6 Kha 5496 in Khorsanibari, Bahrabise, just 26 kilometres past the customs checkpoint. The incident reignited concerns about possible collaboration between customs officials and security personnel. The seized goods, valued at over Rs. 2.5 million had passed undetected through customs.

In another incident, police recovered 155 vapes, mobile phones and cash from a truck (Na 6 Kha 6647) in Lamosanghu, 40 kilometres beyond the border. The driver, Ajay Shrestha of Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality–2, was taken into custody. The confiscated items were sent to the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI), Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur.

Repeated seizures of vape consignments beyond customs clearance zones strongly suggest that smuggling operations are being facilitated from within the customs office. 

According to Sindhupalchok District Police Chief and Superintendent of Police (SP) Rameshwar Karki, the smuggled items are regularly turned over to the DRI, and law enforcement remains active in combating illegal activities at the border.