Tshering Namgyal | Mongar

Two men are in Lhuentse police custody for their alleged involvement  in collecting hashish and transacting it to other dzongkhags.

They allegedly collected hashish from two separate places of Kupinyelsa and Minjey in Lhuentse since 2015.

Following a tip-off, on July 5, Lhuentse police intercepted and arrested two locals of Kupinyelsa village in Minjey gewog who were collecting hashish for a 42-year old from Maedwang gewog, Thimphu. 

Although the suspect escaped from the scene, upon interrogation, the two men confessed that they were working for the suspect. Trashigang Police Station (PS) arrested him on August 12 and handed over to Lhuentse police on September 12. 

Around 120 grams of hashish were seized from the spot. Police said at least three local residents have been used to collect hashish from the pastureland above Kupinyelsa village.

In another incident, Mongar police arrested a 37-year old from Wangshing in Minjey gewog who had been allegedly employing two local residents to harvest and collect hashish from Minjey gewog. He was arrested and handed over to Lhuentse police. 

Police said the two suspects were connected as the 42-year old was first brought to the dzongkhag by the 37-year-old in 2015. 

The suspects and others involved confessed that they had been collecting and carrying the hashish from the dzongkhag since 2015 and illegally transacting it to Thimphu.

The men have been reportedly dealing with the controlled substance from Merak and Saketeng in Trashigang as well. 

Police have forwarded the case to the Office of the Attorney General on October 1.