The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The latest report on the drive against drug abuse and trafficking conducted by the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) found that the youth are increasingly getting involved in the illegal business of drugs and its abuse.
Starting from December last year, a total of 562 people have been arrested till date in connection to illegal transaction and possession of narcotic drugs and controlled substance.
According to the report, out of 562 people who were nabbed of illegal transaction and possession of narcotic drugs and controlled substance, 44 people are below the age of 18 years, 279 are between the age of 18-24 years and 239 are above 25 years.
Starting from December last year till February 26, 2014, the police have arrested 364 people in connection to drug-related offence since a major crack down operation to make Bhutan a drug free zone.
During the operation, out of 364 people arrested, 35 of them were working in various government agencies with some of them being at officers’ level. Out of the total arrest made, 14 were females who were mostly arrested in Thimphu and Phuentsholing.
67 of them were charged for the crime of trafficking of substances, 144 for the offence of drug abuse and possession of illegal substance. 152 were booked for abuse of drug and one of them, recently arrested, is still under investigation.
The report also claims that RBP has seized large quantities of narcotic drugs and con-trolled substance possessed by citizens who smuggled or made an attempt to smuggle the consignments into the country through various unlawful ways.
“It is a very big concern that the majority of the offenders are youth who are increasingly getting involved and becoming victim of drug abuse,” the report stated.
With the existence of a stern narcotic drugs and psychotropic substance law in place and the RBP’s intensive drive to prohibit the illegal business of drugs and its abuse leading to the arrest of a large number of people and subsequent conviction, the report says that it is still found that people continue to smuggle the narcotic drugs and controlled substance and resort to its abuse.
“This reflects that people do not have any fear to the law and punishment,” read the report.
The significant steps taken by the Parliament to outline a harsher law against violation has not alarmed the citizens and the number of offenders is increasing each year.
The police have identified that the permeable border and availability of such substances across the border is impeding the drug control measures in Bhutan. The situation is exacerbated by the smugglers and dealers making quick profits from such illegal transaction.
The RBP plans on stepping up its effort in bringing down the transaction and pos-session of narcotic drugs and controlled sub-stances. RBP is optimistic that their endeavor would help control the numbers hereafter.
