The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Thimphu police have arrested two men for illicit trafficking of controlled narcotic and psychotropic substances from Damchu on December 22 during their weekly highway drug checking routine. The men, one from Pemagatshel and the other from Punakha, are both farmers by occupation.
One of the men, 45, was caught by the police at around 12:30pm. He was caught carrying 10 tablets of Nitrosun (N10), 1224 capsules of Spasmoproxyvon (sp) and 22.65 gm of hashish. He had hidden the controlled substances inside a bag of dried chilies and was travelling on a public transport bus towards Thimphu.
The second man, caught around 1pm, was travelling in a truck towards Thimphu. Police said that the man had concealed the controlled substances, 3 tablets of N10 and 21.73 gm of hashish, in his luggage.
The Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Substance Abuse Act of Bhutan (NDPSSA) 2015, Section 137 states that, “A defendant shall be guilty of offence of illegal possession of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, listed in schedule III and IV of this Act if the quantity is less than the limit determined schedule VII of this Act but fails to produce a prescription from a registered physician for licit use.”
NDPSSA also states that the offence of illegal possession of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances could result in an offence of misdemeanor.
According to the Act, illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, such as possession, imports, exports, stores, sales, purchase, transport, distributes, or supplies will land a person in a prison term of first to fourth degree felony depending upon the quantity.
Police said that the use of public transport system is the most common mode of transportation of controlled substances in Bhutan.
