About two months ago Phunyal, who is also physically handicapped, was arrested with 100 amuples of pharmaceutical drugs while trying to cut a deal with some customers at Dhumbarahi in Kathmandu. [break]
"She was under a financial strain after her husband deserted her and saw drug trafficking as an easy way to earn money. She regrets it in now though," SP Shyam Khatri of Narcotics Control Bureau, New Baneshwar said.
After my husband left me about 25 years ago with three children, we were forced to live hand to mouth.
“It was very hard for me to look after the children and fulfill their needs,” she told the police.
Her life took a turn for the worse after both sons, Santosh, 30, and Sampurna, 28, became victims of drug addiction and were later charged with drug trafficking. According to police inspector Ghana Shyam Shrestha of the Bureau, Santosh is currently serving jail term in the central jail, while his brother Sampurna is currently undergoing treatment at a rehabilitation center.
According to SP Khatri, their mother engaged in the illegal trade after she failed to pay the cost of treatment and rehabilitation of her sons. I had to gather about Rs 100,000 per month in order to provide minimum doze of drugs in time. "Otherwise, they would go mad," she said, adding, "To prevent further harm I had to find drugs for them. As a result I came in contact with people who offered me quite handsome money for peddling drugs at various parts of the capital, she confessed to the police.
Phunyal was more surprised when came to know that her daughter Puja Shrestha was also arrested on the charge of drug trafficking form Koteshwar. Puja, who had been living with two daughters and a son with her mother, was the only bread winner of the family after her mother was arrested. “After I found some ampoules of pharmaceutical drugs, with the help of a network of my mother I decided to sell them as I was greatly in need of money,” Puja confessed to the police.
What worries Puja more is that her children might follow the same track. Her husband was released from jail three months ago after serving a jail term of about three and a half years, according to Inspector Shrestha.
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