Kathmandu, April 14

Recent proactive measures and transnational intelligence-sharing has helped the Narcotics Control Bureau dismantle an international drug trafficking ring that operated in Nepal, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines and Australia.

The anti-drug agency made this announcement today after the arrest of two suspects Netra Gurung (26) and Chitra Tamang (21) of Dhading from Sinamangal in possession of 302 grams of amphetamine.

NCB said the two had trafficking alliance with Thailand and China-based drug racketeer Dharma Pakhrin Tamang.

Dharma of Makwanpur is said to have dispatched a shipment of 54 kg amphetamine to Bhupendra Tamang, a Nepali citizen, and Australian national Raymond John Marsden, who were held from Brisbane with the drug in January, in one of the biggest seizure of narcotic drugs in Australia.

DIGP Jaya Bahadur Chand, NCB in-charge, informed that Netra and Chitra, members of the international drug racket operated by Dharma, were nabbed by a special team deployed from the anti-drug agency under ‘Operation Ice’.

“This is not a mere arrest, but a ‘quality arrest’, and has finally dismantled an international drug network. We are sharing transnational intelligence to nab Dharma who has been trafficking drugs to Australia, Philippines, Myanmar and other southeast Asian countries,” he said.

Purna Pakhrin Tamang, a younger brother of Dharma, is also at large.

DIGP Chand said Purna was responsible for hiring drug carriers from Dhading, Makwanpur, Bara and other districts with the promise of handsome monetary incentives.

The 302 grams of amphetamine seized from Netra and Chitra sells at approximately Rs 9.6 million in the international illegal drug market. Netra had travelled to Thailand and the Philippines for five times in the past four years.

On February 18, Netra shipped one kg amphetamine to the Philippines and sold it for US$ 50,000, which he gave to Dharma in Thailand. For this, Dharma had paid Netra US$ 6,000.

Similarly, travel history of Chitra shows that he had been to Thailand, Myanmar and the Philippines for five times over a period of two months.

SSP Ganesh KC, NCB deputy chief, said Netra and Chitra used to bring home amphetamine from Thailand and smuggle it to the Philippines and Myanmar using TIA as a transit point.

“Amphetamine is a strong synthetic stimulant drug that is manufactured by pharmaceutical companies for medical uses and by illicit laboratories for trade on the black-market,” he informed.

The drug stimulates a person to greater wakefulness and energy, bypassing the body’s usual pathways for creating energy.

According to NCB, Amphetamine is made of one part of phenylpropan and two parts of amine.