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Case 1 

Manisha Ruchal (15) was found dead in Shantipur of Chandrakot-4, Gulmi, on November 3. Police investigation concluded that the girl had been murdered after rape. Rahish Khan (23), a teacher at local Madarasa, was arrested in connection with the incident.

Case 2 

An 11-year-old girl was raped in Nijgad-12, Bara, on October 2. Police arrested Som Bahadur Lungwa (60) for committing the crime. In another disturbing case, a seven-year-old girl was raped in Gausala-5, Mahottari, on November 23. She had been raped by Jugal Kishor Sah, her school teacher.

Data provided by the Nepal Police headquarters shows that a staggering 64.22 percent of sexual violence victims across the country are minor girls. Most of these girls are in the 11-16 age group. Out of the 3,510 reported cases of sexual violence in 2022/23, 1,386 involved child victims, including 13 boys and 1,370 girls. Nine girls lost their lives.

Data also shows that 83.15 percent of sexual violence against children is committed by close acquaintances and relatives. Sexual violence encompasses various crimes such as rape, child sexual abuse, unnatural sex, kidnapping, and forced killing.

Inspector General of Nepal Police Basanta Kunwar says that the alarming number of child victims in sexual assault cases reflects the grim reality of society. “It is quite disturbing that the perpetrators are often known to the victims—acquaintances, neighbors, relatives, or teachers.”

He calls for a collective effort from society to protect minors.

Senior Superintendent of Police Dr. Manoj KC says the escalating cases of crimes against children indicate a breakdown in societal trust. 

“The figures lay bare the sorry state of our society. It is imperative that we unite to protect our children,” he says.

Police data also show that 78.82 percent of cases of gender violence are related to domestic violence. About a quarter of these cases were registered in Madhes Province. Out of 17,000 cases of domestic violence registered in 2022/23, 4,473 cases were registered in Madhes. Similarly, 3,058 cases were registered in Kathmandu Valley.

As Nepal observes 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, stakeholders have expressed deep concern over children being targeted by family members and acquaintances. 

Superintendent of Police Ranju Sigdel of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens Service Directorate of Nepal Police expresses deep concern about the alarming rise in cases of gender-based violence against women and children. 

“The data indicates that up to six children are falling victim to sexual abuse every day. Given that a majority of perpetrators in these cases are relatives and acquaintances, parents must exercise utmost vigilance,” she says. “We are talking about only the cases that have been reported. There could be many unreported cases.”

Under Secretary at the National Human Rights Commission Nitu Gartaula blames the police for not taking the cases involving women and children seriously. She cites instances where police refused to register complaints, attempted to weaken, or mediate out-of-court settlement in a heinous crime like sexual assault.

Inspector General Kunwar, however, claims that the police has adopted zero-tolerance policy in sexual violence cases. 

“This policy requires a prompt response from police chiefs who must report incidents to higher authorities within 12 hours,” he says. “Even senior officers are not exempt from consequences, as evidenced by the recent resignation of Senior Superintendent of Police Yog Bahadur Pal, who faced investigation for sexually abusing a junior female officer.”

Sharmila Paudel, under secretary at the Department of Health Services, stresses the importance of open discussions about sex in families to address the challenges faced by teenagers and children. 

“Suppressing, hiding, or settling cases without reporting to the police could lead to mental trauma for the victims,” she says.

In a disturbing trend that sheds light on the vulnerability of adolescents in the digital age, a 15-year-old girl from the Pepsicola area in Kathmandu found herself trapped in a distressing web of online exploitation. The episode unfolded as she developed a connection with a young man from Udayapur district through Facebook.

What began as an innocent online interaction quickly morphed into a nightmarish ordeal when the man coerced her into sending explicit images under the threat of terminating their virtual relationship. This sinister manipulation escalated as he relentlessly pressured her to engage in physical relations against her will. To further deepen the young girl’s trauma, the man disseminated the compromising photos to her brother.

In a separate incident that starkly illustrates the extent of the issue, a seventh grader from a Gongabu-based school inadvertently fell victim to a similar exploitative scheme. She was talked into sending her private image to an eighth grader boy, with whom she was infatuated with, only to see it circulated widely on a Messenger group. Swift intervention ensued, involving close collaboration between Nepal Police’s Cyber Bureau and the school authorities, to contain the fallout of the breach of privacy.

These unsettling instances provide a grim snapshot of the escalating phenomenon of children ensnared by the clutches of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). Children as young as 12 or 13 are increasingly embroiled in such harrowing activities. The Cyber Bureau of the Nepal Police has alarmingly recorded 645 cases of children falling prey to online sexual violence between the fiscal years of 2018/19 and 2022/23. Young girls emerged as the predominant victims, suffering from harassment by counterparts of the opposite gender, exposure to explicit content and manipulation through fabricated social media profiles.

In a disheartening parallel, 145 young boys also bore the brunt of such insidious online practices. Within these troubling statistics, a staggering 142 children, a significant majority being girls, were found to be grappling with pornography addiction. Furthermore, 120 children, with a similar gender disparity, found themselves subjected to the scourge of sexual harassment.

“The surge in incidents involving youngsters in explicit behaviors is an alarming phenomenon. While it is natural for adolescents undergoing the tumultuous phase of puberty to exhibit curiosity towards sexual matters, the lack of proper guidance and parental supervision is rendering them increasingly susceptible to the lures of depravity,” says Deputy Superintendent of Police Dipesh Joshi of the Cyber Bureau.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Navindra Aryal of the Cyber Bureau underlined the diverse spectrum of CSAM manifestations, encompassing not just the act of sexual engagement, but also consumption of explicit content, propagation of obscene conduct on digital platforms, grooming, engagement in virtual romance, surreptitious device usage, and the repugnant realms of blackmail and harassment.

“Sharing content that not only chronicles crimes against children but also disseminates crimes committed by them is an offense of grave magnitude,” says SSP Aryal.

The pervasive nature of this crisis also underlines a critical lack of parental oversight. Telltale signs of a child caught in the dark corridors of CSAM addiction include overt defiance of familial norms, attempts at premature independence, unexplained fits of rage, academic disengagement, and even overt resistance to attending school.

The law enforcement agencies are mobilizing resources to ascertain details of individuals consuming such egregious content, tracking their access patterns, identifying their internet service providers and initiating targeted interventions. A cyber tipline has been instituted as a proactive measure to thwart the propagation of such malevolent activities.

Cybersecurity expert Rajiv Subba says that CSAM addiction might disproportionately afflict children deeply immersed in the digital realm. “Social networks have become a veritable playground for children,” he says. “Tragically, we observe that some of them are resorting to explicit behavior as a means to garner likes and views on their social media exploits.”

Evidently, a moral crisis looms large over our society, with individuals readily compromising their principles for fleeting popularity in the virtual realm.

Subba emphasized the dire need for a more robust legal framework to tackle this insidious challenge. “Stricter regulation of social networks is an imperative. Particularly vulnerable are children hailing from fractured family structures, as they remain susceptible to the allurements propagated across digital channels.”

Psychologist Karuna Kunwar underlines the innate curiosity that typifies children, propelling them toward uncharted digital territories. She suggests open dialogues within educational institutions and families, encouraging a candid exploration of the physical and emotional changes intrinsic to adolescence. “Avoiding discussions on matters of sexuality while raising children is counterproductive. We must impart the understanding that these are natural facets of life,” she says.

In a pledge that resonates on the legislative front, the government is actively crafting a comprehensive cybercrime legislation. Netra Prasad Subedi, joint secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, says the ministry is erecting strong legal barricades against digital transgressions. 

“Enhancing cybersecurity measures and guaranteeing secure digital environments remain at the heart of our agenda,” he says.

But Subedi emphasizes the need for shared responsibility of parents and teachers to vigilantly monitor children's digital engagements, as well as fortify digital devices against breaches.

Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma agrees.

“A dual approach involving regulatory measures and individual self-regulation is imperative, given the escalating victimization of women and children,” she says.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it is evident that parental vigilance and societal collaboration are vital bulwarks against the digital exploitation of the most vulnerable members of our community.

Children at risk of online sexual abuse, study finds

Children are increasingly at risk of online sexual abuse, a study has shown. The findings, unveiled during a program hosted by Bal Awaj, an organization headquartered in Lalitpur, revealed that children under the age of 18 are increasingly falling victim to online sexual abuse. The study, conducted among 514 children in the Koshi and Bagmati provinces, showed that both known individuals and strangers solicited obscene images from children online, later manipulating these images to tarnish their reputation.

Asking for obscene photos from children and sending insensitive messages among others by abusing the internet are acts of sexual misbehavior and abuse against children.
According to Attorney General Dinmani Pokharel, online crimes possess the potential to impact children not only socially but also psychologically. He said earlier cases of sexual abuse against children were reported at physical level, but these days more children are prone to online sexual abuse. 

Pokharel called for raising awareness about the laws to protect children from abuses in all forms and noted that the findings of the study would be a ‘milestone’ for formulation of law regarding protection of children from cyber crimes. 

Chief District Officer of Lalitpur Rudra Prasad Pandit pointed out the distressing trend of an increasing number of children falling victim to sexual abuse facilitated by the internet. He urged for a mandatory provision, integrated into all mobile phones, that restricts access to websites featuring sexual content involving minors.

Senior Superintendent of Police Siddhi Bikram Shah lamented the challenges in taking swift action against culprits of online child sexual abuse due to limited resources. 

Gopal Krishna Ghimire, president of Nepal Bar Association, stressed the necessity of minimizing children’s exposure to laptops, mobile devices, and iPads, underscoring the importance of maintaining a safe digital environment for children.

A few days ago, a woman arrived at the Cyber Bureau of the Nepali Police accompanied by four minor girls. One of the girls was 12-year-old Rita KC (name changed). She appeared visibly disturbed, displaying signs of fear and trauma. She was reluctant to open up and engage in a conversation. KC resides in Bhaktapur with her father, elder brother, and younger sister. Her mother is employed as a teacher outside the city, while her father works in an office. She was an ordinary twelve-year-old girl, fond of social media, until she had a sudden change of behavior. Her family members noticed it first. KC began spending long hours in the bathroom, preferred solitude, and seemed to have lost interest in attending school. During counseling, the police reached a distressing conclusion that KC had become a victim of online sexual abuse. The police investigation uncovered a deeply disturbing pattern of events. It was revealed that KC had initiated an online communication with an individual, who was notorious for creating fake identities on Facebook and targeting underage girls. The man would manipulate his victims into sharing their photos, which he would then superimpose with explicit images. He sent the altered pictures back to his victims and blackmailed them into sending their nude pictures and videos. KC was one of several victims who had fallen prey to this predatory man. In fact, he had also tried unsuccessfully to target three of KC’s friends. KC shared her story to her friends  when the man started pressuring her into meeting him. Her friends suggested that she confide with her mother, who decided to take the matter to the police. Police Inspector Raj Kumar Khadgi of the Cyber Bureau says they apprehended the suspect from Ghattekulo two weeks ago. He had been living in a hostel, and police have recovered compelling evidence indicating his involvement in multiple online sexual blackmailing schemes. Police records show this is not an isolated incident. There has been a disturbing trend of school-going children falling victim to digital crimes. According to the Cyber Bureau, it received a total of 4,646 cybercrime complaints in the fiscal year 2021/22. The majority of these complaints (3,956) were related to online abuse and harassment through Facebook Messenger. Shockingly, within the first 10 months of the current fiscal year 2022/23, the bureau has already registered 4,568 cybercrime complaints. Again, the majority of these complaints (3,509) involve abuse and harassment perpetrated through Facebook Messenger. Over the course of the past five years, a staggering 479 school-going girls have fallen victim to such crimes; 146 school-going boys have also been targeted. This year alone, the bureau has registered a total of 625 cyber crime cases involving minors across the country. These cases encompass a range of offenses, including harassment, sexual abuse, hacking of accounts, creation of fake identities, defamation, and blackmailing. Records show that 128 of these cases are related to pornography. In the previous fiscal year 2021/22, a total of 3,906 cyber crime cases were registered. Among these cases, 2,003 victims were female, while 1,471 were male. The rise of cybercrime has become an alarming issue in recent times, primarily due to the widespread accessibility of the internet and the increasing prevalence of smartphones, say police. School-going children, in particular, are vulnerable. SSP Navindra Aryal, the director of the Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police, says without proper parental supervision, children are at high risk of becoming victims as well as perpetrators of cybercrimes. It doesn’t take long for children to get exposed to pornographic images and videos when they have easy access to smartphones and the internet. With approximately 97 percent of Nepal’s population using smartphones and 75 percent having internet access, the potential for misuse and the subsequent occurrence of accidents and crimes has also increased. SSP Aryal emphasizes the importance of implementing control mechanisms to protect children. He suggests parents need to monitor and regulate the phone usage of their children. Child psychologist Ganga Pathak says since mobile phones and the internet are valuable resources for children, it is not appropriate to completely deny children access to these technologies. However, he adds, there is a need to monitor their online activities. Pathak says it is the parents who should encourage their children to use the internet as a learning tool, and not just as a source of entertainment and communication. Psychologist Karuna Kunwar says children who develop an addiction to the internet exhibit distinct behavioral changes, such as becoming withdrawn in social situations and avoiding real interaction with their friends and family members. Parents and teachers should pick up on these cues and counsel such children, or seek professional help, she adds. To address the growing issue of digital crimes against children, the Nepal Police has undertaken various initiatives. Cyber awareness programs have been conducted across all 77 districts to educate children and parents about the risks and preventive measures associated with digital crimes. However, the nature of cybercrimes poses many challenges in terms of detection and catching the perpetrators. The absence of a specific law to control and regulate social networks is a notable concern in Nepal. SSP Aryal emphasizes the necessity of legislation to control and prevent cybercrimes. The 35-day statute of limitations should also be lifted, he suggests, as it could impede investigation. But the ultimate onus, he says, lies on the parents whose responsibility is to be well-informed about cybercrime and to educate their children accordingly.

Police investigations have revealed the involvement of prominent political leaders and administrators in a fraudulent scheme that has reportedly amassed up to Rs 5m from 875 individuals by falsely promising to facilitate their migration to the United States as Bhutanese refugees. A warrant for the arrest of former minister and CPN-UML Secretary, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, has been issued, while his son, Sandeep, has already been taken into custody. Additionally, Tek Narayan Pandey, the secretary at the Office of the Vice President, and Indrajit Rai, a security expert and adviser to former home minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, are also currently being held by the police. Police earlier arrested Sagar Thulung from Morang, Tanka Gurung from Panchthar, and Sandesh Sharma from Dang. Sanu Bhandari, an associate of Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, and Keshav Dulal, the former personal secretary of Nepali Congress leader Sujata Koirala, are also in police custody based on complaints filed by various people. Police are preparing to charge them under organized crime. This is not the only case with the involvement of political leaders. Chhiring Dumdul Lama, who was convicted by the Humla District Court for stealing ancient statues of gods and goddesses, was appointed as a minister in the Karnali Province Government by CPN (Maoist Center). Lama was not even a member of the provincial assembly. Subsequently, a case was filed against this decision in a higher court. Rajiv Gurung aka Deepak Manange, a member of the Gandaki Province Assembly, has faced accusations of engaging in criminal activities. He was released after serving a jail term in a murder case. In the previous term, Gurung played a decisive role in forming the government in the Gandaki Province Assembly. Manange, who was elected to the province assembly from Manang, joined CPN (Unified Socialist) after the election. In another incident, leaders of a students’ union affiliated with the Nepali Congress attacked Professor Prem Chalaune on the premises of Tribhuvan University last year, using an iron rod and baton. Although a case was filed against the assailants, they subsequently submitted an application to the Ministry of Home Affairs, seeking withdrawal of the case. Nepali Congress lawmaker and former minister Tek Bahadur Gurung has been found guilty in a corruption case. Gurung and 11 others, including former minister Badri Prasad Neupane, have been convicted for causing a loss of Rs 315.21m to the state. The conviction stems from leasing out 60 ropanis of land in the Kathmandu Fun Park, under the Social Welfare Council, to a private party at a low price. In another incident, a leaked audio recording revealed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Dhaka Kumar Shrestha soliciting Rs 20m from hospital promoter Durga Prasai. He was quickly suspended by his party. Former minister and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Vice Chairman Bikram Pandey has been accused of embezzling Rs 2.13bn in the Sikta Irrigation Project. Although the Special Court has acquitted Pandey, the decision has been challenged at the Supreme Court. A case has been lodged at the Supreme Court against former minister Dambar Shrestha who got a proposal for registration of land plots in Lalita Niwas under different individuals’ names endorsed by the Cabinet. The anti-graft body is seeking the recovery of Rs 96.5m from Shrestha. Investigation has shown that there was the involvement of senior leaders of major parties in the Lalita Niwas scandal. Furthermore, investigations have revealed the involvement of high-ranking political leaders in various instances of corruption. This includes the procurement of widebody aircraft for Nepal Airlines, irregularities in the procurement of a security printing press, and embezzlement of funds allocated to Maoist cantonments. These incidents underscore a concerning pattern of political leaders and government officials abusing their power for personal gain. Prof Dumbar Chemjong, the head of the Central Department of Anthropology at Tribhuvan University, made a poignant observation about the state of politics, stating that there is a troubling trend of accepting, covering up, protecting, and embracing criminal activities within the political sphere. “This tendency has prevented politics from making a meaningful and positive impact on society, instead allowing it to become a safe haven for individuals with criminal backgrounds,” he added. Impunity thrives when political parties shield individuals involved in criminal activities, a phenomenon observed from central to local levels. Despite law enforcement agencies amassing substantial evidence during investigations, the accused often go unarrested due to political influence and pressure. Civil rights activist Shyam Shrestha emphasizes that injustice prevails in the country as crime reigns supreme, thanks to political protection. “No sooner we complete the investigation than we receive calls from political leaders for the release of the accused. There is a risk of losing the job if we don’t comply, while it perpetuates crime in society if the accused is released,” Shrestha quoted a chief district officer as telling him recently. “Politics has given rise to the culture of impunity in the society.” Hemanta Malla Thakuri, a former investigation officer of Nepal Police, expressed concerns about the detrimental consequences if criminal activities persistently receive political protection. “Political leaders are protecting corrupt individuals, goons, real estate developers, and tax evaders, among others. Our politics is headed in the wrong direction,” he added. Resham Chaudhary, the mastermind behind the infamous Tikapur massacre, was elected from Kailali-1 constituency in 2017 and is currently serving a jail term for his involvement in the massacre. Chaudhary, who contested the election while remaining underground, was brought from prison to take the oath of office and secrecy. Similarly, Mohammad Aftab Alam of the Nepali Congress, who has been accused of burning people alive during the 2008 Constituent Assembly election, successfully contested the 2017 election in the Rautahat-2 constituency and is currently serving a jail term. These cases serve as striking examples of how our society often prioritizes factors such as power, political affiliation, wealth, and community connections over an individual’s qualifications or track record when it comes to winning elections. Leaders have faced accusations of involvement in criminal activities even after attaining prominent political positions. Cases against political leaders encompass a wide range of offenses, including gold smuggling, rape, human trafficking, idol theft, illegal abortion, and murder. People’s representatives have also faced allegations of promoting untouchability and witchcraft as well as for theft, banking crimes, and involvement in organized crime, among others. Nepal Police Spokesperson Kuber Kadayat emphasized that the police investigation does not treat political leaders differently. “The law treats everyone equally,” he said, adding that the Nepal Police conducts investigations in a fair and impartial manner.

Saroj Khadka (name changed) from Humla was brought to a children’s home in Kathmandu a few years ago. His mother agreed to send Saroj to Kathmandu with the hope that he would get a good education and proper nutrition, as his father had gone to India in search of work. However, to the shock of Saroj’s mother, she found out six months later that Saroj had been sent to Belgium without her knowledge. Upon further investigation by the police, it was discovered that the owner of the children’s home had sent Saroj to Belgium in exchange for Rs 200,000. There are many monasteries in Kathmandu. However, the lack of registration and oversight of monasteries in the Kathmandu Valley has become a serious issue, as many children are brought to these monasteries with no information about their ultimate destinations. Despite the existing laws that mandate institutions like children’s homes to register with local units, monasteries are often not registered, allowing the movement of children from one place to another under the guise of practicing religion. Pabitra Marasini, Chief of the Women and Children’s Section at Dakshinkali Municipality, has noted that monasteries often house 8-10 children, and sometimes even more. She noted that the number of children in monasteries can be substantial, but there is no information about where they are brought from and where they are taken to. Marasini further highlighted that even elected representatives are not allowed to enter monasteries, making it difficult to monitor the well-being and treatment of children within these institutions. “We don’t have any idea what children undergo inside the monasteries. It is not easy to talk on matters related to religion,” she added. Asha Majhi, Child Welfare Officer of Changu Narayan Municipality, said that although child rights committees have been established at all local units, they have not been able to adequately address children’s issues. She said local units must be informed if children have to be moved from one place to another. Traffickers often prey on vulnerable children from lower-class families, specifically targeting those from single-parent households, families with disabilities, or families with poor financial backgrounds. These cases often go unnoticed at local government units, and children are lured into unregistered and substandard orphanages. Children's homes that operate without proper registration and fail to meet government standards pose a significant risk to the well-being of children. Traffickers often make false promises to parents, assuring better opportunities for their wards, only to keep them in unregulated orphanages in order to collect money from foreigners, including tourists. The situation of child protection and human trafficking in Nepal is indeed alarming. Many children’s homes in Nepal have been accused of operating to cater to the demands of foreign donors, rather than prioritizing the well-being and rights of the children. The government has had to intervene and rescue children whose human rights have been violated in orphanages on multiple occasions. As per the report on the status of children in Nepal for the year 2020, there are approximately 11,350 children, who are dependent on institutional care and reside in children's homes throughout Nepal. Furthermore, there are 489 orphanages operating in 45 districts across the country. According to a UNICEF report, over 2.7m children worldwide are growing up in orphanages. The Children’s Act of 2018 stipulates that special care should be arranged for children in need of protection, and placement in orphanages should be considered only as a last resort for alternative care. Kapil Aryal, an associate professor at Kathmandu School of Law, expressed concerns about lax implementation of laws related to crimes against children. He added that there are no official records of children sent to orphanages under various pretexts, and their whereabouts are often unknown. “Children are sometimes brought to orphanages under false pretenses, such as teaching or employment, and are then sent to Nepali or foreign families without proper authorization, which is unacceptable,” he said. Data from Nepal Police reveals that 3 to 5 children go missing across the country every day, indicating the gravity of the situation. Children from remote areas are often lured into children’s homes through offers of incentives to parents, and then documents are forged to label them as ‘orphans’. “Unfortunately, Nepali laws do not recognize such acts as trafficking, which means that those involved cannot be prosecuted in court,” added Aryal. According to Nepal Police, 273 children have been trafficked from the fiscal 2019-20 till March, 2023. In some cases, parents agree to create false documents stating that their children are orphans, as traffickers promise good education or job opportunities for the children. “Regardless of how attractive the facilities may seem, there is nothing like a loving home for children. Parents should not fall for such offers,” Poshraj Pokharel, the spokesperson for Nepal Police, added.

The body of 25-year-old Arjun Das from Amarabati in Janaki-9, Kailali, was discovered in a local community forest last year. Police investigation showed that he was murdered following a dispute among drug users. In another incident, Anshu Sada of Siraha was abducted and held for ransom by his own friends in October last year. The 18-year-old was later found dead in a hotel room in Biratnagar. His family had failed to pay Rs 10,000 to the kidnappers, who reportedly wanted the money to feed their drug habit. The above two cases represent the larger picture of drug-related crimes and tragedies in Nepal. A study commissioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2019 revealed that 130,425 youths, including 8,732 women, were using drugs. Police bulletins report cases related to drug crimes,  be it of possession, smuggling or illegal use, every day. The situation is alarming, says Poshraj Pokharel, spokesperson for Nepal Police. “Drug use and trade is flourishing, particularly in the Tarai districts that share open border with India.” Records at the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of Nepal Police show that 15,606 cases of drug smuggling and transactions have been registered across the country between the fiscal year 2018/19 and January of this year, in which 23,779 people, including 772 Indian nationals and over 70 other foreign nationals, were arrested. Other police data show that law enforcement agencies seized 335 kilograms of marijuana, 600 kilograms of hashish, 3 kilograms of heroin, 40 kilograms of opium, and 15 kilograms of cocaine in the fiscal year 2018/19. In the fiscal year 2019/20, police confiscated 8,883 kilograms of marijuana, 490 kilograms of hashish, two kilograms of heroin, and 256 kilograms of opium. Police arrested 5,790 people on charges of drug use and trade in the fiscal year 2020/21. Among those arrested, 3,976 are in the 19-35 age group. Data from the Drugs Control Section of the Ministry of Home Affairs suggest that 21 percent of the prisoners across the country were convicted in drug-related crimes, and about 50 percent of them are in the 14-21 age group. Where do drugs come from? Police say about 80 percent of hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin are trafficked from India. They are also smuggled in from countries like Benin, Guinea, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and Ethiopia. Police suspect international drug cartels are mostly using Nepal as a transit destination. They say many migrant workers are being used as mules to shift the drugs between countries. Recently, Doha and Dubai airports have become transit hubs for drugs entering Nepal. Police believe international drug smugglers are enticing returning migrant workers to transport drugs to Nepal by offering them money. Economic temptation is driving many people to become drug couriers, resulting in arrests and punishments that can impact their families. Large quantities of drugs worth millions of rupees are seized in Nepal every year, further underscoring the magnitude of the problem. Chakraraj Joshi, spokesperson for the NCB, says cocaine is the most common and expensive drug that is being smuggled into or via Nepal. “But we haven’t found any cocaine users in Nepal yet,” he says, supporting the police suspicion that most of these hard drugs are headed to other destinations. Drugs and illegal substances that are commonly in use in Nepal are marijuana, hashish, brown sugar, heroin, and opium. Over 6,000 in rehab centers According to Bishwamitra Kuikel, the head of the Drugs Control Section at the Ministry of Home Affairs, around 6,000 youths are undergoing treatment in 249 rehabilitation centers throughout the country. “Drug addiction can have a crippling effect on not just the lives of the users, but also on their families, and on society and the country.” Drug addiction is also a significant factor in the increase of criminal activities in the country. Pokharel, the Nepal Police spokesperson, says approximately 70 percent of criminal cases in the country are in some ways related to drugs. “As drug use can affect mental awareness and mood, and distort the thinking ability, its users have no compunction about committing crimes in order to get their fix. They’ll do anything out of desperation,” he adds. Drug users commit a range of crimes, from theft, fraud and robbery to murder.  With over 35 million drug users worldwide, a significant proportion of them are young people and teenagers, making them susceptible to committing crimes. As drug use increases, so does the rate of criminal activities in Nepal. According to Bikas Raj Khanal, head of the NCB, the lack of awareness and proper parenting is causing the youth to become drug users. “Easy availability of drugs due to the open border and peer pressure from friends are also contributing factors,” he says. Symptoms of addiction Drug use can lead to significant changes in behavior, including a preference for solitude, a lack of appetite, telling lies, and displaying unnatural behavior. Other symptoms of addiction can include decreased interest in school, not communicating with family, asking for money frequently, getting angry more often, disappearing for periods of time, and spending more time with friends who use drugs. The use of drugs can also have physical, mental, and social effects on an individual. Physically, drug users are at risk for various diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted infections, as well as weight loss and loss of appetite. Overdose is also a serious risk, which can lead to death. Mentally, drug users may experience monotony, frustration, depression, loss of cognitive ability, memory loss, and negative emotions. Socially, drug addiction can create problems within families, relationships, and communities. Youths are the target There are over 35m drug users worldwide, and a significant proportion of them are young people and teenagers. A 2019 survey shows that the majority of drug users, around 69.5 percent, were between the age group of 20-29 years. The Drugs Control Section of the Ministry of Home Affairs states that the use of both natural and medicinal narcotics is spreading in Nepal. Natural drugs are mainly marijuana, hashish, hemp, and opium, while medicinal narcotics include prescribed medicines like nitrosan, nitravet, proxyvon, norphin, codeine, corex, phensedyl, and phencodin. Some medicines, when taken without a doctor's advice, can become addictive and harmful.