Indian national is sentenced to 15 years for smuggling heroin into Bhutan

Chencho Dema

An Indian national, Thanil Wanhengbam, 50, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for smuggling 4.610 kilograms of heroin into Bhutan.

The judgment was delivered yesterday by the Paro Dzongkhag Court. The sentence is effective from the date of his arrest on December 22, 2024.

Wanhengbam was apprehended at Paro International Airport after customs officials discovered the narcotics concealed in a suitcase during an x-ray scan. He had arrived from Bangkok, Thailand, and entered through the Green Channel without declaring any items. His behaviour reportedly aroused suspicion, prompting a thorough inspection that led to the discovery of the drugs.

The court ruled that Wanhengbam was guilty under Section 140(1) of the Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Substance Abuse Act of Bhutan 2015, and Section 8 of the Penal Code of Bhutan 2024. According to the Act, illicit trafficking involving a Schedule I substance becomes a first-degree felony if the quantity exceeds twice the threshold outlined in Schedule VII.

Heroin falls under Schedule I and the trafficking threshold is set at just two grams. With 4.610 kilograms found in Wanhengbam’s possession—over 2,300 times the legal threshold—the court concluded that the crime met the criteria for the highest degree of felony. During police interrogation, Wanhengbam claimed ignorance, stating that the suitcase had been handed to him by his employer, Samson Kanu, in Laos. He said he was asked to deliver the parcel to someone in Bhutan and had no knowledge of its contents.

Wanhengbam had reportedly travelled to Laos on December 16, 2024, for employment-related documentation before returning via Bangkok with the suitcase.

The court, however, rejected this defense. Citing Section 139(1) of the same Act, it held that mere possession or importation of a controlled substance listed under Schedule I is sufficient to establish illicit trafficking. The Bhutan Food and Drug Regulatory Authority confirmed that the substance seized was heroin, which is classified as a Schedule I narcotic with no medicinal value.

Further investigation revealed that all travel expenses—including flights from Siliguri Bagdogra to Laos, Laos to Bangkok, and Bangkok to Paro—had been paid for by Samson Kanu. Wanhengbam also admitted to receiving USD 400 along with the suitcase.

The court found that he failed to exercise reasonable caution, particularly since the trip and parcel were arranged by someone he had only interacted with via email. The court deemed his claim of ignorance implausible and noted that a reasonable person would have questioned such an arrangement.

Based on the evidence and the large quantity of heroin involved, the court concluded that both possession and importation had been clearly established, qualifying the offense as a first-degree felony under Bhutanese law.

This case is part of a troubling trend. Customs authorities at Paro International Airport have intercepted three separate heroin smuggling attempts in recent months—December 2024, January, and February 2025. In total, 31.5 kilograms of heroin have been seized.

The quantity of heroin trafficked has shown a sharp rise, with seizures increasing from 4 kg in December to 9 kilograms in January and peaking at 17 kilograms in February.