For police in Koshi, the crime challenge is moving beyond the street. Drug trafficking, cross-border smuggling, cybercrime and social media-driven unrest are adding new dimensions to conventional offences such as murder, theft and assault.

Data for the past three fiscal years show a steady rise in the number of criminal cases registered in the province. Police recorded 9,387 cases in 2023-24, 9,461 in 2024-25 and 9,863 in 2025-26, an increase of nearly five percent over the three years.

Of the cases registered last fiscal year, 7,468 accused were arrested, while 2,325 remained at large.

But the changing nature of crime, rather than the overall number of cases, is proving a greater challenge for the provincial police, said Senior Superintendent of Police Yogendra Singh Thapa, spokesperson for Koshi Province Police Office, Biratnagar.

“The rise in substance abuse, financial crimes, and cybercrime shows how the nature of crime in Koshi is changing,” he said.

Substance abuse remains among the most prominent crimes recorded by police. There were 1,039 substance abuse -related cases in 2023-24, rising to 1,437 in 2024-25 before falling slightly to 1,313 last fiscal year.

Police seized more than 10.4 tonnes of marijuana in 2023-24. The amount more than doubled to over 26.7 tonnes in 2024-25 and increased further to more than 27.7 tonnes last fiscal year.

Seizures of brown heroin and psychotropic medicines have also increased. Police seized about 3.9 kg of brown heroin in 2023-24. By 2025-26, the amount had risen to more than 10.4 kg.

The number of psychotropic tablets and capsules seized also surged, from about 78,000 three years ago to more than 744,000 last fiscal year.

Police said they destroyed about 264,830 marijuana plants cultivated on 1,394 ropanis (70.75 hectares) of land last fiscal year.

Arrests in substance abuse-related cases have remained high. Police arrested 1,598 people in 2023-24, 2,276 in 2024-25 and 2,007 last fiscal year.

“Substance abuse control is a major challenge for us,” said Deputy Inspector General Shekhar Khanal, chief of Koshi Province Police Office, Biratnagar.

Koshi also faces persistent problems with illegal trade and smuggling because of its open border with India.

Revenue collected through action against customs evasion and smuggling stood at more than Rs123.8 million in 2023-24. It rose to Rs204.2 million in 2024-25 and Rs204.5 million last fiscal year.

Cybercrime, though smaller in volume than conventional offences, is also on the rise. The province recorded 24 cases in 2023-24, 35 in 2024-25 and 40 last fiscal year.

Police say the threat extends beyond the cybercrime cases formally registered, with social media increasingly being used to spread misinformation, disinformation and hate speech.

Police say social media is increasingly being used to mobilise crowds, pressure authorities and inflame religious, cultural and communal tensions, creating an additional security challenge.

The force also acknowledges a shortage of personnel with specialised skills to investigate financial and cybercrime, limiting its ability to respond to increasingly sophisticated offences.

Offences against children have also increased. Police registered 489 cases involving children in 2023-24, 470 in 2024-25 and 531 last fiscal year.

Complaints of domestic violence, however, have declined. Police received 1,632 complaints in 2023-24, 1,356 in 2024-25 and 1,313 last fiscal year. Of those received last fiscal year, 1,311 were resolved, according to police data.

Police have also stepped up efforts to arrest people convicted by courts who remain at large.

The number of such fugitives arrested rose from 2,385 in 2023-24 to 3,513 in 2024-25 and 4,603 last fiscal year.

Those arrested last fiscal year were collectively sentenced to more than 1,503 years in prison terms, while fines exceeding Rs141.6 million remained unrecovered, according to provincial police data.

The figures reflect a broader shift in Koshi’s security landscape, with police increasingly confronting crimes that cross borders and extend from the streets into the financial system and digital space.