Has Nepal become a major drug transit country?

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Has Nepal become a major drug transit country?

6 April 2017
Talking Drugs

by Avinash Tharoor

The number of people being arrested for drug trafficking has reached an unprecedented level in Nepal, suggesting the country may be becoming a regional drug transit hub.

According to Nepal's Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), over 16,700 people were charged with drug smuggling or trafficking offences between 2011 and 2016, the Himalayan Times reports. In 2016 alone, a total of 3,696 people were arrested for such offences - marking a 39 per cent rise when compared with the previous year.

Cannabis is, by far, the most common drug being smuggled from or through Nepal, however significant quantities of heroin, opium, and cocaine have also been seized by the NCB.

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