The smuggled Chinese garlic seized by the Railway Protection Force at Raxaul station on Friday. Picture by Jai Prakash

Motihari, Jan. 28: In yet another crackdown against smugglers, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) seized at least 55 quintals of Chinese garlic.

The forces carried out raids in a midnight operation on Thursday at different places in and around Raxaul railway station, said a senior SSB official.

It was the second big seizure of Chinese garlic in the past one month.

Earlier, on December 26, the SSB and Government Railway Police (GRP) had seized nearly 100 bags of Chinese garlic from the same place and nearly 80 quintals of onion, before it was to be smuggled into Nepal on December 28.

According to sources, the contraband Chinese garlic in over 100 sacks was hidden at several places near the railway station, passengers’ shed, washing pit and the sprawling bush near the GRP office.

Sources added that a large number of smugglers, scattered around with their contraband sacks, were women and children.

The contraband articles smuggled from Nepal were first assembled in Raxaul’s Prem Nagar locality situated on the banks of Sariswa river on the India-Nepal border.

From there carried it to the Raxaul Nagar panchayat area for distributing it in different places.

When contacted, SSB assistant commandant at Raxaul, Ajay Kumar Pandey told The Telegraph about the midnight drama with the smugglers.

He added how the entire area had to be cordoned off to seize the contraband.

“It was the second big seizure of smuggled Chinese garlic, which is sure to discourage any further bid by the smugglers in near future,” he said.

He added the price of the same was valued at around Rs 6 lakh in the Indian market, which is almost double the price in Nepal.

A detailed seizure report of the contraband has been prepared by the GRP and formalities were being completed for handing over the same to the Raxaul customs office, Pandey said.