In a rare incident, police on Sunday afternoon shot at an alleged drug peddler near the Tribhuvan International Airport.

The police team deployed by Koteshwar-based Narcotics Control Bureau nabbed Indian national Hementa Kumar Bhagwat, who is 27 and identifies himself as Bikram Bhagwat on Facebook, with 100 grams of heroin.

“It was a tough catch,” said Superintendent of Police Chakra Raj Joshi, also a spokesperson at the Bureau.

Police said the alleged drug peddler has been admitted to Manmohan Memorial Hospital for treatment.

After overpowering the accused, police rushed Bhagwat to the Sinamangal-based Kathmandu Medical College for treatment. He was later moved to the Maharajgunj-based Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre since he had developed a problem in his veins.

Bhagwat initially attempted to flee, when police tried to encircle him.

“Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Bal Krishna Sanjel tried to catch Bhagwat but he got hit on his testicles,” Joshi said. “As ASI Sanjel fell down, the accused tried to run away. Then our ASI fired on his leg, below the knee.”

Police said the Indian national had been running a vegetable shop in Bhanu Chowk in Dharan and he arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday morning on a the drug business.

“We had been following his activities closely,” said Joshi. “It seems he tried to flee to escape punishment.”

Police say 100 grams of heroin cost around Rs1.1 million in the Nepali market.

The consumption and trading of narcotic drugs over the past few years have increased sharply in Nepal, police data show.

On Friday, police apprehended another Indian national Mohammad Sadiul Islam, 36, of Uttar Pradesh, from New Bus Park. He was found to be possessing 52 grams of brown sugar. Police said this is the third time Sadiul has been arrested for carrying narcotic drugs.

At May-end, police arrested six people, including two Indian nationals, for their alleged involvement in procuring and selling narcotic drugs. They were arrested from Kathmandu and Jhapa.

Section 14 of the Narcotic Drug Control Act 1976 states that anyone involved in trading any quantity more than 100 grams of heroin shall get 15 years to life term imprisonment and a fine of Rs500,000 to Rs2.5 million.

Police say smugglers procure brown sugar at Rs4,000 to Rs4,500 per gram in India. They sell it in Nepal anywhere between Rs8,000 to Rs12,000 a gram.

In a conversation with the Post, Senior Superintendent of Police Govinda Thapaliya, chief of the Bureau, said Indian drug cartels are taking advantage of the open borders to smuggle contraband drugs into Nepal.

“The drug trading is getting really serious in Nepal via India because of the open border,” said Thapaliya.