Police in Bardiya launched a ‘No Drugs’ campaign in the district two months ago. However, officials say the campaign, which was initiated to control the smuggling and consumption of drugs in the district, hasn’t been effective so far.

According to the data of the District Police Office, 47 individuals were interrogated for smuggling and consuming contrabands in the last month. Among them, four were taken into custody whereas one individual has been sent to a rehab centre.

Superintendent of Police Ishwor Karki said 42 drug users were handed over to their parents after counselling.

“We have already organised 15 awareness programmes targeting schools, colleges and public places. Those awareness programmes were attended by 2,500 individuals,” said Karki.

The District Police Office plans to make Bardiya a drug-free district. However, cases of drug smuggling and the arrest of users and smugglers in the district have shown that the campaign has not been as successful as expected.

The District Police Office says it will continue with the campaign despite getting dismal results.

“Most of the drug users are young people. We have been taking classes in 10 community schools in a day to raise awareness among them,” SP Karki said.

Mayor of Madhuban Municipality Ganesh KC said the police campaign hasn’t yielded the expected results but it should be continued to control smuggling and consumption of drugs in the long run.

According to the District Police Office, the campaign will end by the end of the current fiscal year.

“The consumption and smuggling of drugs have become rampant in Bardiya due to the open border,” said Dipu Chaudhary, a civil society leader and a local resident of Gulariya Ward No. 10. “Authorities should launch awareness programmes in the settlements near the border area. The border area should also be closely monitored to control illegal trade of drugs.”

According to Nara Bahadur Raut, Superintendent of Police of the Armed Police Force in Bardiya, over 12 individuals were arrested with contrabands in the last nine months. “Mostly pharmaceutical drugs are being smuggled into the country from the border point,” Raut said.