With 596 people involved in 287 cases, Thimphu police made the highest arrests last year for abusing, possessing and illegally transacting controlled substances so far.

Spasmo Proxyvon Plus (SP+) remains the most abused pharmaceutical drug in the country with over 50,000 capsules seized in the last one year.

A total of 2,370 tablets of Nitrosun 10 (N10), 72 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup (Corex) of 100 ml each, and 19.95 litres of thinner were seized in 2017. Thimphu police also seized 1,478.21 and 1068.2 grams of dried marijuana and hashish.

Of the total arrested, 430 abusers including 26 females were sent for treatment to Bhutan Narcotics Control Authority (BNCA), while 166 were detained and charge sheeted for possessing and trafficking controlled substances. Ten were detained for selling tobacco products.

A police official said that 358 abusers and 62 detainees were aged below 25 years.

From January this year until yesterday, Thimphu police seized 1,677 SP+ capsules, 87 and a half N10 tablets, 2.18 grams of dried marijuana leaves, and a litre of thinner from 15 people who were arrested for abusing and possessing controlled substances.

Seven abusers were sent for counselling and treatment to BNCA.

On January 6, Thimphu police detained two men for illicit trafficking of controlled substances selling the controlled substances in a public place in Thimphu.

Police seized 41 SP+ capsules and 62 tablets of N10 from a 35-year-old man who works in a private company. The police also seized 11 N10 tablets and about two grams of marijuana hashish from his friend, 34, who is a civil servant.

On the same day, police arrested four men aged between 25 and 30 years near the IMTRAT hospital in Thimphu. A total of 1,570 capsules of SP+ and four and a half tablets of N10 were seized from them.

Dechen Tshomo