Crime: Police detained a 20-year-old student from Darina in Dechencholing who was found carrying marijuana in a bag on October 16.

He tested positive for abusing cannabis. However, the student will not be charged for possession of controlled substances as the quantity he possessed did not exceed the minimum quantity for illicit possession of cannabis and its derivatives.

The Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Substance Abuse Act of Bhutan (NDPSAA) 2015 classifies cannabis under schedule I of the Act, describing it as narcotic drug with no medicinal value.

Police arrested three other men in possession of controlled substances in three different incidences in Thimphu the next day.

On October 17, police arrested a 29-year-old man who runs a paan shop above Olakha automobile workshop in Thimphu. Police confiscated 139 Spasmo-proxyvon (SP) capsules, 106 cigarette sticks and a few packets of baba (Chewing tobacco) from the shop.

A 27-year-old man was also arrested from the main town in possession of152 SP capsules.

The police official said that the man claimed that he bought the controlled substance from across the boarder in Phuentsholing.

Police seized 15.22 grams of marijuana hashish from a 24-year-old man in Genekha. He was arrested while hashish the same day.

On October 5, a freelance guide, 29, was arrested from Hong Kong market in Thimphu for possessing 66 SP capsules and two Nitrosun 10 tablets.

Two school dropouts, both 18 years old, were arrested on October 20 from Ramtokto in possession of 40 SP capsules.

On September 22, police detained a 24-year-old man from a shop in Olakha. The man had 156 SP capsules hidden in a sack of rice in his store.

The police official said that on an average, police arrest at least one person a day for abusing controlled substance. “We send the abusers for rehabilitation at the approved treatment centres,” he said.

Dechen Tshomo

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