KATHMANDU: Police have arrested an Indian national at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu with 5.5 kilograms of white heroin valued at approximately Rs 220 million.
The arrested individual has been identified as Rewaz Tighri, 52, a resident of Maharashtra, India, according to Durgaraj Regmi, Superintendent of Police (SP) and spokesperson for the Narcotics Control Bureau.
Police said Tighri was arrested on Saturday after arriving in Kathmandu from Thailand. He was apprehended during the profiling of passengers suspected of involvement in international drug trafficking through air routes.
According to SP Regmi, the suspect had visited Nepal twice previously after travelling from Laos. During his first visit, he entered Nepal by air, while on his second visit, he travelled overland from India.
Police investigations have revealed that he has also travelled to several countries, including Laos, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Police suspect that he is a key figure in an international drug trafficking network.
A certificate identifying him as a mechanical engineer was also recovered during the arrest. According to police, the seized 5.5 kilograms of white heroin has an estimated market value of Rs 220 million. Preliminary investigations indicate that the consignment was destined for India.
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