Himal Press 
ITAHARI: Police in Sunsari district intercepted two vehicles bearing government number plates and seized nearly 700 kg of cannabis on Tuesday evening.
The vehicles were stopped at Dharan-13 while en route from Dhankuta to Dharan.
Chief of District Police Office, Sunsari, SP Suman Timsina said that 360 kg of cannabis was recovered from one vehicle and 330 kg from the other. “During the operation, police fired four rounds from an INSAS rifle to halt the vehicles. One bullet reportedly hit the rear window of a jeep,” Timsina added.
The driver of one vehicle, identified as 36-year-old Shyam Kumar Bishwakarma from Sundar Haraicha Municipality-11, Morang, was arrested on the spot. However, the driver of the second vehicle managed to escape. Police have intensified the search to locate him.
SP Timsina raised concerns over the use of government number plates. “Investigations are underway to verify the authenticity of the registration plates. We are also monitoring all checkpoints to apprehend the fugitive driver,” he added.
DSP Prakash Javegu from the Area Police Office, Dharan, explained that police were forced to fire warning shots after one vehicle attempted to ram into police personnel during the interception.
