Nepalis drawing towards more potent and dangerous substances

By Nayak Paudel,Kathmandu, June 25: Brown sugar (aka heroin), cocaine and pharmaceutical drugs are supposed to become the biggest headache to drug-control authorities in Nepal as the chemical drugs are increasingly getting seized in large amounts on a daily basis from across the country.

However, some recent arrests and investigations have shown that Nepalis have exceeded expectations by getting attracted towards more potent and dangerous substances.

“Brown sugar, cocaine and pharmaceutical drugs are extremely harmful. However, the consumption and demand for more harmful drugs have increased in the major cities across the country,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) Chakra Raj Joshi, spokesperson for the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

The speculation has come at a time when the NCB has arrested a couple of foreign nationals and some Nepalis with expensive chemical drugs such as Methamphetamine and LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide). The NCB, in a span of three days, arrested two foreigners and five Nepalis with 10,131 pieces of LSD, 40.85 grams of methamphetamine and 3.7 grams of cocaine from different parts of Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Methamphetamine, which is also known as Ice, costs Rs. 25,000 per gram, and LSD, which is also known as acid and sold in the form of nail-size stickers, costs Rs. 2,000 per piece. “On June 20, Sugam Mainali, a 29-year-old, was arrested with seven pieces of LSD stickers from the Saat Ghumti area in Ward No. 16 of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC). He was only a consumer but his arrest gave us a lead,” said SP Joshi.

The NCB then arrested 42-year-old Mukhiya Gurung from Thamel, Kathmandu, on the same day. Mainali had bought LSD from Gurung.

The bureau’s team had also seized 3.7 grams of cocaine from Gurung. After Gurung, the team reached Pokhara.

“On June 20, 26-year-old Raj Gautam of Biratnagar, Morang, was arrested from a hotel in Ward No. 6 of Pokhara Metropolitan City with 26 pieces of LSD and 400 milligrams of methamphetamine,” read the press statement of the NCB released on Friday. “Gautam is a major mastermind who packed and distributed LSD and methamphetamine to different parts of the country,” SP Joshi told The Rising Nepal.

The NCB had also detained a Czech Republic citizen identified as Martina Serna, 32.  “Serna, who holds a passport with the number 46570333, was found with Gautam. Her involvement is being investigated by the Kaski District Police Office,” said SP Joshi.

However, the NCB got another big lead from the arrest of Gautam. 

The NCB, on June 21, arrested an Italian citizen with 10,098 pieces of LSD stickers, 38 grams of methamphetamine and IRs. 139,000 in cash alongside currencies of Europe, Turkey and Thailand.

The Italian national has been identified as 34-year-old Davide Minadeo (Passport Number: YB1573961). He was arrested at a restaurant in the Saat Ghumti area with six grams of hashish and the other drugs were seized from his hotel room in Ward No. 26 of the KMC.

“Davide has been found travelling between Nepal and India multiple times by extending his visas continuously. He seems to have been the one who smuggled the drugs into Nepal from India,” said SP Joshi.

On June 22, two Nepalis – Dawa Tamang and Nar Bahadur Tamang of Dhading – were also arrested with 2.450 grams of methamphetamine from the New Bus Park area in Balaju, Kathmandu.

“The recent arrests and confiscations have shown that the trend of drug abuse is turning more worrisome. We request parents and society assist authorities in the fight against drug abuse,” said SP Joshi.