Chukha dzongkhag court sentenced a 31-year-old man to five years in prison for illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances earlier this month.

Kinga Sithar from Dangdung in Langthel, Trongsa, was found guilty of violating section 139.2 of the Narcotic Drugs Psychotropic Substances and Substance Abuse (NDPSSA) Act of Bhutan 2015, after Tsimasham police found him concealing 64 capsules of SP+ on September 17 this year.

The judgment stated that although the crime, in accordance to section 141(1) of the NDPSSA Act is graded a third-degree felony with prison term ranging from five to nine years, Kinga Sithar was given the minimum sentence as he did not have any prior criminal record.

The court also sentenced two men to three years in prison each for violating section 64 of the Penal Code of Bhutan 2004, which states that defendants shall be guilty of accomplice liability if they are an accomplice of another person in their commission of an offence.

Pema Dorji, 33, and Dawa, 30, from Drujeygang, Dagana, were found guilty of buying the SP+ for Kinga Sithar from Baw Bazar in Jaigaon, India.

The judgement stated that the two had bought SP+ after Kinga Sithar asked them to and sent Nu 750 to buy the consignment.

The two were given a sentence one degree lower than that of the prime defendant.

Tashi Dema