SURKHET, July 31: The number of drug users has been increasing every year in Surkhet district, according to the data maintained by the District Police Office (DPO), Surkhet.
According to the DPO, 20 cases of drug abuse were recorded in the last fiscal year. In the same period, police had arrested 35 people. Likewise, in fiscal year 2015/16, the DPO had recorded 16 cases of drug abuse while making 30 arrests in connection with drug abuse.
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“The incidents of drug abuse are increasing in the district. Tackling the problem has become more challenging than ever lately,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mohan Kumar Acharya, chief of the DPO.
According to Acharya, Surkhet district is becoming a 'gateway' of drugs to Karnali. Drugs are smuggled into Karnali from India and then get distributed in the hilly districts of the country. “Police alone cannot stop it now. We need help from all quarters,” added DSP Acharya.
Most of those arrested by the police are released without being tried at the district court. “We have been putting them behind bars for just two-three days. Of late, we have arrested over 90 people in connection with such cases,” added DSP Acharya.
As per the record maintained at the DPO, most of the drug users are youths. And among them, the majority is of 20-30 age group. According to the DPO, 20 of those facing court cases are of 20-30 age groups. Likewise, eight of those facing court cases are of 30-40 age groups, while other five are of 16-20 age. Two of those are above 40 years of age.
Most of the drug users in Surkhet consume brown sugar, according to the police. In the previous fiscal year, cases were file at the court against 17 brown sugar users. Police had arrested 31 persons for using brown sugar, while seizing 53.7 grams of the contraband in the district.
Likewise, there are two court cases of Diazepam drug consumption in the last fiscal year. According to DSP Acharya, 252 tablets of Diazepam were confiscated from the users.
In fiscal year 2015/016, a dozen cases of brown sugar, and 16 cases of marijuana, hashish, opium and Diazepam drug have been recorded at the DPO. Altogether, police have arrested 30 persons in this connection.
