Crime

In a major operation, Nepal Police have arrested 22 people from different parts of Kathmandu valley with heroine and several controlled pharmaceutical drugs.

The operation follows growing concern over drug addiction problem among younger people around the country, where an estimated 1.3 million people use various drugs as per a recent study.

Nepal Police also seized more than five million rupees, besides 459 grams of heroin, 1,180 bottles of controlled pharmaceutical drugs, including Dialex – DC, 1,260 Ampoules of Nitravet tablet, and 150 ampoules of Proxyvon tablet. 

Of those arrested, 18 were men and four were women, according to Nepal Police’s Narcotics Control Bureau.

The arrest was made in a period of 19 days, beginning July 16. The bureau said cases will be lodged against those arrested as per the Narcotics Drugs Control Act 1976.

Police say a gram of heroin costs 10,000 per gram, a bottle of Dialex DC costs Rs 1,000, and a tablet of Nitravet costs Rs 30, and a tablet of Proxyvon costs Rs 20 in Nepal’s markets.

Recent surveys show a growing drug abuse problem in Nepali society, especially in urban areas. They suggest an estimated 1.3 million people use various drugs in Nepal. Of them, nearly 70 percent use injecting drugs – quite a few of whom remain prone to HIV and other diseases.