Moreover, as drug traffickers reach their doorsteps to purchase the final product, local people are relieved from the hassle of searching for buyers. Meanwhile, locals said farmers involved in illegal farming of the contraband were hesitant to give up the profession as it happens to be their lone but lucrative source of livelihood. Local farmers say they earn up to Rs 1 million annually from the sale of the contraband drug. Hence, in the absence of alternative sources of income, commercial farming of the contraband continued to flourish despite police crackdowns.

The Area Police Office in Kohalpur, Banke, arrested five men with 20 kgs of opium last Saturday. In April 1, the District Police Office in Rukum arrested three people, including two females, with 54 kilograms of hashish. However, the arrests have failed to act as a deterrent as most of them return to the same old profession upon their release.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Gautam Raj Kattel, 17 people were arrested on charge of smuggling the contraband drugs in Rukum alone. Stating that the business was flourishing in recent years, Kattel said they would come up with a special strategy to curb the illegal activities.

“We are planning to launch a special campaign in the next fiscal year,” Kattel said, adding that the move will focus on destroying the crops and preventing re-farming.