Man arrested for selling marijuana-laced cakes online

Published On: January 8, 2024 08:25 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, Jan 8: Police have arrested a person who mixed the illegal drug marijuana into cakes and sold them online in Kathmandu. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of Nepal Police arrested 26-year-old Bishan Manandhar from Kathmandu Metropolitan City-29 Ghattekulo on Friday. On Sunday, the bureau made public the marijuana, cakes, and cake-making materials recovered from him along with Manandhar.

According to the bureau, Manandhar was involved in dealing cakes mixed with marijuana, creating an ID called 'Bamb-Ong Nepal' on the social network Instagram. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Govind Thapaliya stated that the NCB initiated the operation after receiving special information that drugs were being mixed with birthday cakes in the capital using the 'darknet' in the style of the 'dark web.'

He mentioned, "During the operation, it was very difficult to reach the main culprits. After seeking assistance from the Cyber Bureau, we finally traced the followers of the Bamb-Ong ID. Only then did we manage to locate Manandhar."

SSP Thapaliya highlighted the challenges faced in obtaining orders from the followers and reaching the main seller Manandhar, as this business was operated very covertly. He explained, "This style is known as the darknet and dark web in the international field of drugs."

After identifying Manandhar as the main culprit, the police team raided the house in Ghattekulo. During the search, the police seized 121 grams of marijuana powder, 178 grams of ready-made cake bags, 3 kg and 754 grams of marijuana, one digital scale used for weighing cakes, and one electric oven used for baking cakes.

The police investigation revealed that Manandhar had been making various types of marijuana-laced cakes and delivering them online for over a year. According to the police, he used to take orders for cakes through Instagram. Superintendent of Police SP Chakraraj Joshi from the bureau mentioned that the customers of Manandhar's ganja-laced cakes were mainly students and teenagers living in hostels.