Kathmandu, January 9

The proliferation and misuse of illegal small arms and light weapons continues throughout the country, posing a serious threat to the security of lives and property.

According to statistics released by Nepal Police, it arrested 150 persons with 152 small arms and 283 bullets over a period of five months. Senior Superintendent of Police Uttam Raj Subedi, Nepal Police spokesperson, warned that proliferation of such firearms gave rise to criminal activities.

Criminal gangs possess them to threaten the victims of extortion, kidnapping and robbery. They are also used to kill people. According to police, small arms are mainly smuggled into Nepal through the southern border, while people continue to possess homemade arms, especially katuwa, bharuwa banduk and socket bomb in the remote areas of the country.

A pistol fetches arms smugglers up to Rs 100‚000, depending on the need of the prospective clients‚ who are mostly extortionists or members of organised criminal gangs.

Meanwhile, the statistics reported that 43 kilograms of undeclared gold were confiscated during the period. Most of the smuggled gold enters Nepal from Gulf countries through the Tribhuvan International Airport, and Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi-Kerung points via Tibet of China.

Similarly, police seized 2,559 kg cannabis, 529 kg hashish, seven kg heroin and 12 kg opium. The law enforcement officers arrested 2,836 persons in connection with various crimes and filed 1,826 cases at the court through the concerned offices of district attorney.

During the period, police nabbed 1,104 absconding convicts and crime suspects from various parts of the country. Five of them were brought home from foreign countries in coordination with the Interpol. Similarly, around 125,000 litres of bootleg liquor was confiscated as part of crackdown on homebrews.