The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The four women arrested from Khenpajochu under Tshogom Gewog, about seven kilometers from the Wangdue town, for selling and possessing tobacco products were convicted on April 15 by the Wangduephodrang Dzongkhag Court.
Of the four women, three have been slapped with the prison term of a year, which is a compoundable offence, and they can pay thrimthue in lieu to prison term.
Due to the lack of evidence of the three women selling the tobacco products, the court sentenced them to a year-long prison term each.
Two of the women, aged 21 and 37, are from Mongar. The other are a 35-year-old woman from Samtse and a 55-year- old from from Wangduephodrang.
The three women told police and the court that the products were for their own consumption and not for sale.
However, the fourth woman who supplied the tobacco products to the three women was convicted for a prison term of three years and a month.
The 21-year -old woman was supplying the tobacco products to three women. She received her supply from a truck driver still on the run.
In a major raid conducted by the Wangduephodrang police, the four women were arrested for selling and possessing of tobacco products on January 14.
The products recovered from the raided shops included chewing tobacco (baba), Biri and cigarettes (Navy Cuts).
Police found 72 sticks of cigarettes, 336 sticks of Biri and 200 grams of chewing tobacco from the shop of the 21-year¬old suspect while 890 sticks of cigarettes were found from the 37-year-old paan shop owner.
A total of 360 sticks of cigarettes, 240 sticks of Biri and 50 grams of Baishali khaini (chewing tobacco) were found at the35-year-old suspect’s shop.
From the fourth suspect, police found 60 sticks of cigarettes, 768 sticks of Biri, 70 grams of chewing tobacco and 110 grams of Nevna tobacco, a different brand of chewing tobacco.
