Pubdate: Tue, 28 Aug 2012
Source: Himalayan Times, The (Nepal)
Copyright: 2012 The Himalayan Times
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/cvzLserF
Website: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5107

DRUG TRADE RILES COPS

KATHMANDU: The penetration of pharmaceutical drugs such as diazepam 
and buprenorphine in the capital has anti-drug authorities in the city worried.

Organised trade of such drugs, which can only be sold against a 
doctor's prescription is on the rise despite police crackdown on 
dealers and users, say officials.

SSP Nawa Raj Silwal, deputy chief of Narcotic Drug Law Enforcement 
Unit, said racketeers were found to have switched to pharmaceutical 
drugs from hardcore ones such as cocaine, hashish and heroin.

"Those found in possession of hardcore drugs get life imprisonment 
and their property is confiscated. But those convicted of smuggling 
pharmaceutical drugs needs to spend only around three years in jail," he added.

SSP Silwal said teenagers and college goers account for the largest 
section of end users of pharmaceutical drugs. Detectives have caught 
more than 1,500 teenagers using drugs in various parts of the Valley 
in the last one month. The drug users were found in New Baneshwor, 
Gongabu, Chabahil, Kalanki, Kalimati, Maharajgunj and Bhaktapur. They 
were found to be using drugs in restaurants close to schools and colleges.

"In the past, drug users used to look for solitary places. But the 
new generation of addicts prefer public places to hoodwink law 
enforcement agencies," he informed.

According government figures, NDLEU and other divisions of Nepal 
Police have seized 40,000 ampules of diazepam and buprenorphine and 
busted five rackets in the past two months.

Officials say that filling jails with racketeers was not a long-term 
solution to the problem. "We should make the youth aware about the 
consequences to save them from harmful drugs," SSP Silwal suggested.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom