In yet another blow to the escalating drug trade in eastern Nepal, police in Jhapa have arrested four individuals in possession of brown sugar during a targeted operation in Bhadrapur Municipality-7 this afternoon.

The suspects—Sajan Tamang (30), Sajin Lama (33), Dipesh Lama (33), and Ram Tamang (23), all residents of Belkotgadhi Municipality in Nuwakot—were taken into custody after law enforcement officers intercepted a suspicious vehicle bearing registration number B.P. 01-025 Cha 0877 along the Animarg road.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Khagendra Bahadur Khadka, spokesperson for the District Police Office, Jhapa, the four were found carrying two grams and 390 milligrams of brown sugar, a highly addictive and illicit narcotic derived from heroin. The arrests were made public during a press conference held later in the day.

"These individuals were transporting the drug in a private vehicle and had likely intended to distribute it in local markets," DSP Khadka told reporters, adding that all four have been presented before the District Court in Jhapa. Their judicial remand has been extended by seven days to facilitate further investigation.

This marks the third major brown sugar seizure in Jhapa in recent months, underscoring the district's growing vulnerability as a trafficking corridor.

On Ashad 7 (early June), a separate operation at the Customs Chowk in Bhadrapur-5 led to the arrest of 24-year-old Nivesh Kunber from Kathmandu and 22-year-old Nojina Rana of Lamjung. Police seized 47 grams and 690 milligrams of brown sugar from the pair, who were transporting the narcotic in a Neta EV bearing the number plate B.P. 01-030 Cha 7793.

Similarly, on Baisakh 31 (mid-May), three individuals—Bhupendra Rai of Damak, Bhola Thakur of India, and Monajir Alam—were detained in Gauriganj Bazaar of Gauriganj Rural Municipality-3. Authorities confiscated 100 grams and 90 milligrams of brown sugar during that raid, along with a car (Na.1 Cha. 9162) and a motorcycle with an Indian registration.

Police say the pattern points to an organized trafficking network exploiting cross-border routes and regional connectivity to circulate dangerous narcotics across Nepal's eastern belt.

"These are not isolated incidents," DSP Khadka said. "We are dealing with a sophisticated supply chain, and our operations will continue to intensify. Drug smuggling is not just a criminal issue—it's a threat to public health and youth security."

The rising number of arrests and drug seizures in Jhapa has prompted calls for tighter border surveillance, community awareness campaigns, and increased coordination between federal and provincial enforcement agencies.

With the monsoon season historically providing cover for smuggling activities, authorities fear this may be just the tip of the iceberg.