The Next Drug War? Nepal Becoming a Haven For Drug Trafficking

This year, Nepal police arrested Thai national Suparerat Mcintosh on charge of carrying 1kg of cocaine worth U.S. $200,000. Police say it was the first ever seizure of a large amount of pure cocaine in Nepal. An investigation into the trade by Nepal authorities shows that cases of drug trafficking have swollen tremendously, making the country a haven for drug traffickers. 

If statistics provided by Narcotic Drugs Control Law Enforcement Unit (NDCLEU) are correct ,six foreigners and 47 Nepalese people were arrested in the first three months of 2012 with 1035.35 kilograms of hashish and 2,496 kilogram of heroin. The amount is significantly greater than one year ago, when only 1,929.8 kilograms of hashish and 6,151 kilograms of heroin were confiscated from both locals and foreigners over the course of the entire year.

The government of Nepal is not taking enough measures to combat this problem. 

“Government should make this in priority. There should be a seperate desk for looking after drugs under the prime minister’s office,” said Kunwar.