Six gangs involved in drug sale arrested in Kailali, will the police succeed in breaking the chain?

Dhangadhi: In Kailali, there have been many cases of deaths, disappearances, and police arrests due to drug consumption. Most of those arrested are between the ages of 14 and 35. In Kailali alone, an average of two youths are arrested with drugs every day.

This number is constantly increasing. Recently, it has been seen that the youth in rural areas are involved in drug consumption and trafficking more than those in urban areas. According to police statistics, most of the arrested are teenagers and young adults from families living in rural areas. Ved Prakash Joshi, the spokesperson of the District Police Office Kailali, said that even though the police are arresting those involved in drug consumption and distribution, there is still a challenge to regulate it.

"It seems that parents should be more aware of this as teenagers and young adults are falling into the trap of drugs after getting addicted to it."

The number of people using drugs during the teenage years is constantly increasing. Kailali Jail has the highest number of drug-related inmates. Only 335 people were arrested in the district last financial year. By the second week of the current financial year, this number has reached the same level as last year.

There is an equal number of young people who have passed school age but have been addicts from a young age. The number of people who initially start as users gradually take up smuggling by crossing the border. The drug procured from India is further supplied across Nepal. Stakeholders say that illegal drug shops in rural areas, medical professionals who sell and distribute drugs without doctors' permission, and Indian markets in border areas make drugs easily available for users.

The police identified 9 gangs involved in the business and arrested 6 teams. 3 gangs are still not arrested. The police have arrested 6 gangs who were working as carriers for those involved in the cross-border drug trade which later became dealers themselves.

DSP Joshi, spokesperson of the District Police Office, Kailali, says that there is a need for a government rehabilitation center that can provide both medical methods and counseling according to the standards to control drugs in Kailali. According to the police, due to open border crossings, unemployment, family neglect, etc., youths fall into drug addiction. Kailali-Kanchanpur is becoming a drug hub as users influence friends to consume drugs and create more users in order to keep their supplies going, police said.

One user has been engaging 5 people in the addiction to collect financial resources. In this way, the investigation by the police has shown that 5 people are connecting 25. As the number of drug users in the district increases, the local level has a policy of bringing users out of the community and placing them in rehabilitation centers. In the financial year 2076-77, 161 drug users were arrested from Kailali.

At that time, 98 cases were registered in the district. In the financial year 2077-78, that number decreased. In that financial year, 91 cases were registered and 132 people were arrested. However, the number of arrests and cases has increased dramatically in the current financial year.