The Bhutanese Leading the way.
A 28-year-old Indian national was apprehended at the Paro International Airport on 8th January 2025, after being caught with 9.73 kilograms of heroin, marking the largest drug seizure ever. This incident also represents the first drug smuggling case of the year.
The illicit substance, which was intercepted during the routine security check, was later confirmed by the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) as heroin. Meanwhile, the suspect was arrested and detained by the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) on the same day he was caught with the drugs, and the test results came after a week confirming it.
RBP forwarded the case to the Office of Attorney General (OAG) on 7th February 2025.
The suspect who was traveling alone on a flight from Bangkok to Paro had concealed the heroin inside plastic packets hidden within coffee packets in his luggage.
RBP shared that the suspect might be a middle man responsible for the package transportation, and the main person might be someone else, as the Indian man confessed that the package was to be delivered to someone in Delhi, India.
This latest arrest follows a similar case from 22nd December 2024, when a 50-year-old Indian national was caught smuggling 4.6 kilograms of heroin at Paro Airport.
Like the recent case, the suspect was traveling alone from Bangkok to Paro and concealed the heroin inside a plastic packet within his luggage.
The case is currently awaiting judgment in court.
