On November 23, eight people were arrested in Kailali with drugs on a single day. The District Police Office, Kailali and various subordinate police offices jointly arrested them.

When 18-year-old teenagers to 31-year-old adults were arrested from various places, 1 gram 370 milligrams of brown heroin was seized from them. After many youths were arrested in a single day, this news got coverage in local and national media and the police became more vigilant.

Only 6 days had passed since this incident, the news came again – ‘6 people arrested with drugs from Kailali’. Various teams of the district police had seized brown heroin from separate places and taken them under control based on special information. Police have said that 5 grams 420 milligrams of brown heroin was found from them.

This rate of arrests in a week clearly shows how dangerously drugs are spreading in Kailali. Not only Kailali, the situation is also similar in the neighboring district of Kanchanpur, which shares an open border with India.

When you see the news of 'arrest with drugs' in the media, it seems as if Kailali and Kanchanpur are competing in this. Sometimes Kailali surpasses Kanchanpur in the rate of drug seizures and arrests, and sometimes Kanchanpur is ahead of Kailali.

Not only here, but also in the remote hill districts, the rate of drug users is increasing year by year. The data of the Sudurpaschim Provincial Police Office shows that Bajhang, Bajura and Darchula are not untouched by drugs.

According to the provincial police data, 392 people, including 364 men, 18 women and 12 Indians, were arrested in all nine districts of the Sudurpaschim in the fiscal year 2077/78. This year, 254 cases were registered across the province. Of these, 137 people were arrested in Kailali, 231 in Kanchanpur, 3 in Bajhang, 4 in Bajura, 3 in Doti, 7 in Darchula, 5 in Baitadi and 2 in Achham. This year, 5 kg 391 grams of marijuana, 56 kg 548 grams 768 milligrams of hashish and 1 kg 231 grams 958 milligrams of heroin were seized across the state. Similarly, in the financial year 2078/79, 524 men, 21 and 18 Indian men were arrested in all nine districts of the Far West. This figure shows an increase of 164 people this year compared to the previous year.

Of the arrests, 314 were arrested in Kailali, 234 in Kanchanpur, 3 in Dadeldhura, 3 in Bajhang, 5 in Bajura, 2/2 in Doti and Darchula. 356 cases were registered across the province. This year, 1 kg 155 grams of marijuana, 112 kg 840 grams of hashish and 1 kg 56 grams of heroin were seized across the province.

In the fiscal year 2079/80, 856 people, including 773 men, 66 women and 17 Indian men, were arrested in all nine districts of the Far West. This year, there has been an increase of 300 people compared to the previous year.

This year, 518 people have been arrested in Kailali, 292 in Kanchanpur, 9 in Dadeldhura, 3 in Bajhang, 1 in Bajura, 7 in Doti, 5 in Darchula, 14 in Baitadi and 7 in Achham. 538 cases were registered across the province. A large amount of drugs were seized across the province this year. According to the data, 50 kg 500 grams of marijuana, 109 kg 714 grams of hashish and 432 kg 462 milligrams of heroin were seized.

In the year 081/082, 1,043 people, including 977 men, 56 women and 10 Indians, were arrested. This year, there has been a decrease compared to the previous year. 700 people have been arrested in Kailali, 275 in Kanchanpur, 15 in Dadeldhura, 4 in Bajhang, 5 in Bajura, 5 in Doti, 19 in Darchula, 9 in Baitadi and 11 in Achham. This year, 693 cases have been registered across the province.

3 kg 618 grams of marijuana, 72 kg 681 grams of hashish and 494 grams 786 milligrams of heroin were seized across the province. Similarly, according to the data till Kartik 17 of the current fiscal year, 159 people, including 156 men and 3 women, have been arrested in all nine districts of the Far West. Out of which, 85 have been arrested in Kailali, 52 in Kanchanpur, 4 in Dadeldhura, 9 in Bajhang, 3 in Bajura, 3 each in Doti and Darchula, and 109 cases have been registered . In these 4 months, 9 kg of hashish and 232 grams of heroin have been seized across the province 

From Shrawan 1 to Kartik mid-year of the current fiscal year, 89 cases of drug trafficking have been registered in the District Police Office, Kailali alone . 130 people, including 5 women and 125 men, have been arrested . During this period, 193 grams 20 milligrams of brown heroin, 7 kilograms 366 grams of hashish and 77 tablets of tramadol have been seized.

This data shows that the rate of drug seizures and arrests in the Far West is increasing at a high rate every year. Superintendent of Police Gautam Mishra, Information Officer of the Far West Provincial Police Office, says that the rate of arrests and drug seizures has increased after identifying some gangs involved in drug trafficking and increasing special checks at the checkpoints.

Most of the users are under the age of 40.

It has been found that most of the users involved in drug trafficking from India to Nepal are under the age of 40. Sagar Bohara, Information Officer of the District Police Office, Kanchanpur, says that most of the people arrested in Kanchanpur are young people. 'The most active people in the age group of 18 to 25 seem to be involved in drug trafficking.' Apart from this, those above 14 years and up to 40 years are more likely to be arrested. We have records of people up to 60 years involved in trafficking,' he said.

This age group also seems to be more involved in drugs in Kailali. Information Officer Rajkumar Singh of the District Police Office Kailali said that women and teenagers are now also getting involved in drugs.

'Women and teenagers, after getting addicted, seek drugs for themselves. In the process, they also seem to be trafficking drugs for others as they earn money,' Singh said. The age group of those arrested among women is mostly young.

There are various reasons why the drug problem in the Far West has become serious and young people are more involved in it. Singh says that open borders, economic deprivation, illiteracy and unemployment are the main reasons for this.

Information Officer Mishra of the Provincial Police Office also agrees with him. ‘Teenagers are more likely to fall into bad company and get addicted to drugs. This is the record of most of the arrests we have made,’ Mishra said. According to him, there is another age group that is involved in drug trafficking along with drug use. Most of the people in this group are adults. They get involved in drug trafficking out of greed for quick money after not getting jobs according to their skills, qualifications and abilities and later become drug users themselves. Mishra says that drug control will not be possible unless the poverty, illiteracy and unemployment prevalent in the society are reduced. Drug control is a challenge for the police. If we look at the latest trend, it seems that drugs are entering more through Tikapur, Bhajani, Chaumala, Lamkichuha, Mala Kheti, Trinagar checkpoints in Kailali and Khakraula, Belauri and Gaddachauki checkpoints in Kanchanpur. The provincial police have launched special operations at the main transit points.

Provincial Police Information Officer Mishra says that brown sugar (brown heroin) is used more in the Far West than in other provinces. According to him, the main source of brown heroin is India.

‘There is an open border. We do not have the manpower equivalent to that border. There are also fewer devices to identify drugs,’ said Information Officer Mishra, ‘There are not enough tracker dogs to track drugs. There is a lack of resources and equipment. Due to the open border, it is challenging for the police to control drugs entering Nepal from India.’

On top of that, gangs involved in trafficking adopt new ways to bring drugs into Nepal. Due to this, Provincial Police Information Officer Mishra claims that more drugs are entering Kailali and Kanchanpur. "There is a misconception in society that only the police can stop drug use and trafficking. Drug control cannot be achieved through police efforts alone," he said. "The police can only play a supporting role. To completely control drugs, it is necessary for families, society, schools, and governments at all levels to actively participate."