Kathmandu: Indian nationals are increasingly involved in smuggling cannabis produced in Thailand into India via Nepal, according to Nepal’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
In the past month alone, eight Indian citizens have been arrested in Nepal while attempting to traffic Thai cannabis. Authorities say the country is being used as a key transit point in a growing cross-border drug network.
The route reportedly begins with cannabis being flown into Nepal from Thailand. From there, traffickers attempt to move the drug by land into various parts of India. Some suspects arrested are said to have ties to pharmaceutical businesses in India, officials said.
In the past year, Nepal Police have filed drug trafficking charges against 45 Indian nationals, including seven women, in connection with similar cases.
Authorities have confiscated more than 200 kilograms of Thai cannabis at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport over the past several months. Investigations are ongoing.