Thirty percent of prisoners in Birgunj jailed for drug-related offences

Many controlled substances, illegal in Nepal, are openly sold in medical shops in the Indian border town of Raxaul.

Drug-related offences continue to rise despite the 'strict measures' taken by security agencies. Thirty percent of the inmates in Birgunj prison are serving sentences for drug-related crimes. Out of the 1,412 prisoners currently held, 512 are incarcerated for drug-related offences.