Kathmandu, February 29

Narcotics Control Bureau has confiscated 930 grams of cannabis dispatched from Canada as parcel. Acting on an intelligence input, the anti-drug agency of Nepal Police searched the Parcel Section of Dillibazar-based General Post Office and took a suspicious package into its custody on Wednesday.

Total 930 grams of cannabis was found after NCB officials opened the parcel in the presence of GPO.

The parcel was addressed to Nikhil Ranga Hotel, Tilganga, Kathmandu, while the sender was Titan Food, Canada. NCB has launched further investigation to establish the identity of the person who was supposed to receive the parcel.

Smuggling of hashish to Europe, America and other countries from Nepal is common. However, smuggling of drugs from foreign countries to Nepal for local consumption has recently been reported. Earlier on October 23, NCB had arrested three persons with six kg cannabis and seven kg hashish sent from Canada and the US, respectively.

Sending and receiving consignment of drugs through parcel is relatively easier for racketeers as the packages are not thoroughly monitored, thanks to lack of scanners and sole dependence on random checking in the post office. Nepal has always been an attractive transit point for international drug traffickers and they now seem to be taking advantage of the ill-equipped postal office to smuggle drugs.

Police have stepped up vigil at post offices and private couriers centres after the law enforcement agency found drug racketeers switching to air parcel and courier services to smuggle contraband abroad.