Seven unidentified gang members broke into the Citizens Bank at Karsiya BP chowk in Dhanpalathan Rural Municipality-4 in Morang district on October 11 and took away Rs. 2.01 million at 3:45 pm.
To break into the bank, they had first held hostage and injured the security guard Sheetal Kumal, 40, with the help of a small and a homemade gun called katuwa pistol and entered the bank to collect the cash at a time when Dashain festival was at its peak. Unfortunately, the guard did not possess any weapon other than a Khukuri with him to retaliate.
In the case, police later detained two Indian nationals along with the weapons used in the bank heist and five others involved in the case including the looted cash have still been unknown, said Superintendent of Police (SP) Janardan GC of the District Police Office, Morang.
Lately, the illegal use and smuggling of small arms have become one of the toughest security challenges to the Nepal Police in maintaining peace and security in society.
Although the number of arrestees with illegal weapons has gone down in the last few months, the number of arrestees with weapons has been rising every year.
On an average, more than 300 persons get arrested each year with weapons and ammunition. In the last fiscal year 2020/21, 426 persons were arrested with weapons and ammunition, up by 18 per cent compared with the previous fiscal year. In the fiscal year 2019/20, 360 persons were arrested by the police with weapons.
The number of persons arrested with illegal weapons, especially small weapons, has increased every year, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Basanta Kunwar, Spokesperson for the Nepal Police Headquarters. In the fiscal year 2018/19, the police had arrested 247 persons with small weapons.
police from across the country had seized 93 small weapons in the last fiscal year 2020/21 while 426 persons were arrested during the same period. In the previous fiscal year 2019/20, 110 small arms were recovered.
Similarly, in the last fiscal year, police had recovered 1,617 bullets used in various weapons from across the country. In the fiscal year 2019/20, that number was 5,815. Similarly, 57 magazines were recovered in the fiscal year 2020/21.
Likewise, the police had recovered 462 big weapons in the fiscal year of 2020/21. Compared to the previous fiscal year 2019/20, the seizure of large arms has increased by 126 per cent. In the fiscal year 2019/20, the police had seized 204 big arms. In 2018/19, 206 such weapons were recovered.
Gold smugglers, robbers, hooligans, bank looters and Yarshagumba looters have especially been found arrested with the weapons, said SSP Kunwar.
Weapons have also been seized even from the airport of Kathmandu, said the police.
Source : TRN,
