The Metropolitan Police Range, Bhaktapur, has arrested six individuals of a drug racket involved in smuggling pharmaceutical drugs inside the Kathmandu Valley.
According to the police, they have arrested members involved in different tiers of smuggling within the racket on different dates.
It had all started from the arrest of a couple two months ago on August 1. A police team had stopped a motorcycle (State 2-016 Pa 0126) for checking following suspicion at Ward No. 5 of Bhaktapur Municipality.
“Upon checking, 285 ampules of pharmaceutical drugs were seized from the bag of the pillion. The rider and the pillion, identified as Rajesh Shahi and Sarita Shahi respectively, were then arrested. The duo are husband and wife,” reads a statement issued by the Range on Saturday.
Further investigation then led the authorities to Keshav Chhetri. Chhetri had sold the drugs to the couple. He was arrested the same day from Ward no. 4 of Bhaktapur Municipality with 243 ampules of drugs.
Three days later on, August 4, Bhaktapur Police arrested Ram Bishwash Ray, a resident of Dhading. Ray used to smuggle drugs into the Valley from India, and Chhetri was one of his customers.
Police then started a probe to find individuals smuggling the drugs into the Valley. It took a month to find another individual.
On September 7, Mohammad Shesh Imtiaz aka Ali Mohammad was arrested from Bishram Guest House in Koteshwor. A resident of Sarlahi, Mohammad used to supply the pharmaceutical drugs to the dealers in the Valley, including Ray.
Through Mohammad, police found about another individual involved in selling the drugs in the Valley after receiving from him. Rabin Deula, a resident of Lalitpur, was then arrested from Harisiddhi on September 14.
In a whole, the police seized 676 ampules of Norphin, 676 ampules of Diazepam, 581 ampules of Phenergan, 95 pieces of Promethazine and 1800 tablets of Nitravet. A motorcycle, nine mobile phones, 13 SIM cards and Rs. 46,000 in cash was also seized from the six individuals.
Bhaktapur Police informed that the racket was involved in the business to make a handsome profit in a small time. A case has been filed against the six individuals and the authorities have started necessary legal process against them.
Source : TRN,
