Kathmandu, May 17

The Narcotics Control Bureau today said it had launched a massive manhunt to nab a woman allegedly involved in supplying prescription drugs to Kathmandu and other major cities of Nepal through both Nepali and Indian citizens.

According to NCB, the woman by the name of ‘Rita Sharma’ had trafficked as many as 6,720 ampoules of injecting drugs to Kathmandu over a period of two weeks. The anti-drug agency of Nepal Police arrested two Indian nationals with 1,500 ampoules of diazepam, buprenorphine and phenergan from Balkhu yesterday. The drug carriers are Jitendra Kumar, 33, and Sanoj Kumar, 32, of Bihar. The duo had used a vehicle with Indian licence plate to carry the drugs to Kathmandu. Police have also impounded the jeep.

During interrogation, they told police that they were asked to transport the prescription drugs by Sharma, who allegedly runs a drug racket along the Nepal-India border. NCB said Sharma, whose identity has yet to be independently verified, was one of the drug kingpins on its most wanted list.

Last week, NCB arrested Sanny Kumar, 21, of Parsa from Koteshwor with 2,115 ampoules of injecting drugs supplied by the woman. Similarly, Manohar Giri, 28, of Sindhuli, was held from Kalanki with 105 ampoules; Aftav Wasta, 35, from Kalanki in possession of 3,000 ampoules. They also said that they had smuggled the drugs on behalf of Sharma.

NCB warned that prescription drug abuse was rife in the valley. Traffickers supply drugs to Kathmandu via Nepal-India border. It said teenagers account for the largest section of end users of prescription drugs.