Police said this was the second largest amount of the cocaine seized in Kathmandu after a Thai national was arrested with 1kg of cocaine in January this year.[break]
A team of Metropolitan Police Circle Balaju seized 480 grams of cocaine from two Nepali in Bohoratar and the three Indians who had carried Cocaine to sell in Nepal were arrested with 495 grams from Hotel in Thamel. However the main person behind the drug smuggling, named by the five as Sangey Sherpa, is absconding, the Police said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jaya Bahadur Chand said, “The group was in search of the customers to sell the cocaine in Kathmandu which was carried all the way from Calcutta via Kakadbhitta check point.” He said investigations were underway and the police will soon arrest the head of the gang.
The arrested Indian citizens are-Toli Ori 23, Toge Ori 22 and Ritesh Dutta 29 from Auranachal Pradesh whereas Kedar Bahadur Raut 41 of Thakali-1 of Sindhupalchowk and Chhatra Bahadur Limbu 34 of Siddakali-4 Shankhuwasawa are Nepali nationals.
However the accused denied the ownership of the cocaine and said that they were duped by the smugglers using them as carriers. Kedar, one of the accused said, “I was in need of Rs 50,000 fast for solving my son´s motorbike accident problem so I was lured by the money and landed in police custody.”
With the information of drug smuggling police officials disguised themselves as customer and were able to arrest them.
Police also seized four mobile sets, Indian currency worth of Rs 5,000, driving license, Indian sim, ATM card and bus tickets.
It is estimated about 150,000 Nepalese use drugs among them 20 percent are women.
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