The border security leaderships of Nepal and India have agreed to bolster cooperation to control illegal activities and cross-border crimes, concluding the 10th Nepal-India Coordination Meeting in Kathmandu, Radio Nepal reported, citing the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS). The meeting, between Nepal's Armed Police Force (APF) and India's Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), began on October 28 and reviewed the progress of previous decisions, with both sides agreeing to strengthen cooperation at strategic, operational and field levels.

Source: Radio Nepal / RSS

The Nepali delegation was led by APF Inspector General Narayan Dutta Paudel and the Indian delegation by SSB Director General Sanjay Singhal. The two sides committed to continuing the timely exchange of information on cross-border criminal networks, illegal trafficking, human trafficking, counterfeit currency and the illegal movement of third-country citizens, and to beefing up checking and document verification at border points, with coordinated patrols in the no-man's-land, APF spokesperson Netra Bahadur Karki said.

Source: Radio Nepal / RSS

10thEdition of the Nepal-India SSB-APF coordination meeting, held alternately since 2012
CCTV + dronesTechnology discussed for monitoring the no-man's-land and sensitive stretches
KurintarProposed site of a joint swift-water rescue exercise in Nepal
2027, New DelhiProvisional venue and year for the 11th coordination meeting

CCTV, scanners and drones for the open border

A key focus was smart border management: thorough discussions were held on installing CCTV cameras to monitor the 'no-man's-land' (Dashgaja), deploying luggage scanners and walk-through metal detectors at major checkpoints, and expanding the use of drones within each side's territory, spokesperson Karki told RSS. The Asian Observer, reporting the meeting's conclusion, said both sides also agreed to step up coordinated action against human trafficking, drug smuggling and counterfeit currency, and to strengthen checks to prevent unauthorised entry of third-country nationals.

Source: The Asian Observer

The forces also agreed to continue joint efforts to clear unauthorised cultivation, encroachments and illegal structures from the no-man's-land, and to coordinate in the field on the maintenance, repair and reconstruction of border pillars, in line with the decisions of the Boundary Working Group and the Survey Officials Committee. Disaster cooperation featured as well, with discussions on a joint swift-water rescue exercise at Kurintar, help desks at checkpoints, specialised training support, regular exchange visits, and measures to counter misinformation and misuse of social media.

Source: Radio Nepal / RSS

The coordination meetings have been held alternately in the two countries since 2012. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the outcome and provisionally agreed to hold the 11th meeting in New Delhi in 2027, The Asian Observer reported. The mechanism is the main working-level channel for managing the roughly 1,751-kilometre open India-Nepal border, where citizens cross freely but both forces are under pressure to curb smuggling and trafficking.