800 including 45 women netted for drug-trafficking in 5 yrs

Published On: February 18, 2019 09:36 PM NPT By: Sandip Kumar Baishya

KATHMANDU, Feb 18: A record maintained by Nepal Police has shown that there is a growing trend of women being used in drug-trafficking of late.

The smugglers have been trafficking drugs through the Nepal-India border by using women. The number of drug users is also increasing in an alarming way.

According to the statistics maintained by the Nepal Police, around 800 people including 45 women were arrested on the charge of trafficking drugs in the period of five years between 2014 and 2018.

According to SP Chakra Raj Joshi, spokesperson of Narcotic Control Bureau, 154 people were arrested in 2014, 123 in 2015, 168 in 2016, 153 in 2017 and 201 in 2018. They were arrested on the charge of trafficking people and drugs.

There is a significant number of Indian women being used in drug-trafficking, according to the data. Besides, there are Canadian, French, Chinese women, too.

In the period of five years, police have seized 25,885 kilograms of marijuana, 8, 978 kilograms of hashish, 184 kilograms of opium, 26 kilograms of heroin and 36 kilograms of cocaine.

Over 200,000 people are drug addicts in the country, currently. In 2063 BS, a total of 46,000 people were drug users. The number rose to 91, 150 in 2069 BS. Around 80% drug users were aged between 18 to 25 years.

According to police, the drugs are trafficked to Nepal via Nepal-India checkpoints including Jogbani, Panityanki, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Sunauli, Krishnanagar, Rangpur, Bimli among others.