Nepal

Three arrested with 32kg marijuana; shots fired to stop car fleeing multiple checkposts

Three arrested with 32kg marijuana; shots fired to stop car fleeing multiple checkposts

By Prakash Dahal

Persons arrested on the charge of smuggling marijuana being made public at District Police Office, Makawanpur, on Wednesday, January 29, 2020. Photo Courtesy: Nepal Policeu00a0

HETAUDA: Makawanpur Police arrested three persons with 32 kilograms of marijuana from Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-11 of Makawanpur district, on Tuesday night. Police have identified the arrestees as the car driver Sanjit Paswan (35), passengers Ajaimal Hawari (35) and Zahira Khatun (45), all hailing from Muzaffarpur in India. Acting on a special tip-off, a team of police under the command of Police Inspector Ishwari Prasad Bhandari deployed from Hetauda Ward Police Office attempted to stop the car with an Indian registration (BR 36 J 4458), en route from Manahari to Hetauda, for security checking, at Thana Bharyang. However, when the car did not stop and attempted to flee towards Bhairavdanda, Inspector Bhandari fired an aerial shot.

Inspector Bhandari again fired at a tire of the car when they ignored the warning shot, finally stopping them.
After the vehicle stopped, the police team found 32 kilograms of marijuana bundled in 16 packets and hidden inside the false bottom under the back seat, informed Superintendent of Police (SP) Sushil Singh Rathore at Makawanpur District Police Office, at a press meet organised on Wednesday. The vehicle that was ferrying marijuana from Manahari area had refused to stop at Manahari, Newarpani, and Lewat checkposts before being intercepted at Thana Bharyang, added SP Rathore. Meanwhile, the police van that was transporting the arrested was hit by a bus (Na 5 Kha 5582) that was en route to Dhangadhi from Kakarvitta, injuring Inspector Bhandari and others. The arrested Zahira Khatun also sustained minor injuries in the incident, informed police.