KATHMANDU, April 10 : Police arrested three foreign nationals - two Thai women and one Indian man - with over 5 kilograms of cannabis smuggled through Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).
The Narcotics Control Bureau said thecontraband was brought to Kathmandu vai Thai Airways flight TG319 from Bangkok. The flight had landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport around 1 pm on Tuesday.
The cannabis was found with 27-year-old Thai national Kanokwan Pongsuwan who was approaching the X-ray machine at the arrival area’s red channel, NCB spokesperson SP Narayan Prasad Adhikari said.
Indians use Nepal as transit route to smuggle cannabis to Thail...
The two others involved in smuggling have been identified as 24-year-old Thai woman Chonlada Ninchatturat and 31-year-old Indian national Jamshed Malik Kuppatil.
According to police, the main handler is believed to have been based in Thailand. Cannabis is trafficked into Nepal through, mainly through foreign travelers before being supplied to various Indian cities with support of Indian nationals.
The group is also suspected of using Nepal-India routes to smuggle drugs to the Gulf countries in the past.
Authorities say Nepal has previously seized cannabis imported from the US, Europe, and other countries, with India often being the final destination.
