Narcotics Bureau Control (NCB) arrested three foreign nationals in possession of 2.966 kg of cocaine worth Rs 88.98 million in Kathmandu.
Those arrested in drug case connections have been identified as a South African, Sherli Gama (30) with Passport number A 09267513; Gertrude Leonard Kimaro (26) of Tanzania with passport number TAE 255981 and, Bijaya Singh (33) of Karnataka, India.
Gama landed at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) from Qatar via a flight of Qatar Airways on August 19. Gama had arrived in Qatar from Johannesburg, South Africa.
Security personnel deployed from the Koteshwor-based NCB tracked Gama and nabbed her while conducting a raid at a hotel based at Kamaladi in KMC-1.
Subsequently, NCB frisked Singh who came to collect the cocaine from Gama in the same hotel. Singh was arrested on August 25.
On the other hand, NCB also traced Kimaro involved in a drug smuggling case and was arrested from Khurkot, Sindhuli district on August 26. Kimaro was planning to flee to India.
Despite heightened tight security at TIA, Nepal has become a transit hub for smuggling drugs and gold for the past few years.
It has been learned that the seized cocaine is worth Rs 88.98 million in the market price.
Further investigation into the case is being carried out after extending additional custody from Kathmandu District Court against the trio, informed NCB, Koteshwor.
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