3 Indians arrested with bomb ingredient in Nepal

KATHMANDU - Three young Indian men have been arrested while trying to enter Nepal from Indias Darjeeling district carrying 120 kg of sulphur, an ingredient used to make gunpowder.

Manik Roy, 23, Haresh Sinha, 22, and Sotor Roy, 23, were arrested Sunday in eastern Nepal while trying to enter the country through the Kakarbhitta entry point, Police Superintendent Rabindra Prasad Sharma told IANS.

The trio was carrying sulphur, used as a main ingredient to make gunpowder, on a cycle.

They gave their address as Darjeeling though police suspect they could be from Siliguri.

Sharma said the three men have been kept in custody till police complete investigations into their backgrounds and the objective behind bringing sulphur.

There have been recent reports in the Indian media about networks spanning the two countries to supply arms to Indias outlawed Maoists.

Though Nepals Maoist party ended its armed war in 2006 and returned to mainstream politics, there are other armed groups mushrooming along the Indo-Nepal border which have both accomplices and arms suppliers in India across the border.