Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) troops recovered more than 1,500 bottles of soft drinks and two air-conditioner units being moved into Nepal without proper customs paperwork along the India-Nepal border in Bahraich, officials said. Deputy Commandant of the 42nd Battalion Dilip Kumar said a pick-up truck bound for Nepal was stopped for a routine check at the BIT check post in Rupaidiha on Thursday night. The driver tried to break through the barricade and flee but was intercepted. Officers found 1,575 bottles of soft drinks, each 2.25 litres, and the driver could not produce valid customs documents; during questioning he identified the goods as belonging to Pintu Pradhan. The vehicle and merchandise were seized and handed over to the Customs Office in Nanpara. In a separate interception near Border Pillar Number 656 the same night, an SSB patrol recovered two LG split air conditioners being transported on bicycles. One alleged smuggler, identified as Munnu of Nanpara, was apprehended while another suspect escaped. The air conditioners and the bicycles were also turned over to the Customs Department for further action.
