Madhesh Province, June 5 -- Bardibas in Mahottari district has become a major transit hub for drug smuggling, with traffickers using the town to move marijuana from the hill districts of Nepal into India and bring controlled prescription drugs from India into Kathmandu, the Kathmandu Post reported.

Once a small roadside stop along the East-West Highway, Bardibas has seen rapid urban growth following the operation of the BP Highway, which connects the town directly to Kathmandu. This development has brought an influx of residents and businesses, but it has also coincided with the rise of illicit drug activities.

According to the Area Police Office in Bardibas, smugglers have established storage facilities throughout the town. Marijuana g...