Three foreign nationals held with cocaine worth Rs 90 million

KATHMANDU, Aug 29: Police have arrested three foreign nationals with cocaine worth Rs 90 million from Kathmandu. 

A team of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of Nepal Police apprehended South African, Indian and Tanzanian nationals with 2.966 kilograms of cocaine. 

The bureau shared that South African national Shirley Gama was arrested on August 19. Acting on a tip-off, a team of bureau officials held Gama, who arrived on the same day via a Qatar Airlines flight, from a hotel in Kamaladi, Kathmandu. 

Similarly, Bijay Singh from India’s Bangalore, who reportedly had a connection with the transportation of the illegal drug, was arrested on August 24 from Kamladai.  According to police, he was there to pick cocaine from Gama. 

Gertrude Leonard Kimaro, a 26-year-old Tanzanian national was arrested from Khurkot, Sindhuli on August 25. She was fleeing to India via  Sindhuli, according to the bureau. 

The seized cocaine is priced at around Rs 90 million in a grey market, said the bureau. 

According to legal provisions, the accused can be sentenced to life imprisonment of 15 years and slapped with a fine of Rs 2.5 million. 

The police have launched a detailed investigation into the case after extending the custody term from the Kathmandu District Court.