Drug Abuse in the Global Village
Drug Abuse in Asia

Arrests, Convictions and Offences relating to Drug Abuse in South Asia

BANGLADESH
In 1991, a total of 892 persons were arrested and 107 were convicted for possession/abuse of illicit drugs. The largest number of arrests related to cannabis in herbal form (363) or plants/seeds (186) followed by heroin (293) (U.N. 1991).

BHUTAN
No information reported by 31st December 1993.

INDIA
In 1991, 5,300 persons were arrested for drug offences including 64 foreigners. In 1992, 4,302, and in the first 8 months of 1992, 5,534 persons were arrested (Dass, B. 1992).

MALDIVES
Between 1982 and 1992, a total of 170 Maldivians and 81 foreigners are reported to have been involved in narcotic offences. While the number of foreigners involved has been decreasing steadily during this period (28 in 1982, 14 in 1985, 0 in 1989 and 1 in 1992), that of Maldivians has been increasing to reach a record of 75 in 1992 (1 in 1982, 15 in 1985, 23 in 1991) (Maldives 1993).

NEPAL
Results of small scale studies have shown that violent crimes by drug addicts are rare. Eighty four per cent of those surveyed are reported not to have committed crimes after becoming addicts (Nepal 1993).

            The number of persons arrested for drug related offences has increased from 312 in 1990 to 529 in 1992. The majority of those arrested are male Nepalese (395 in 1992). The number of foreigners arrested has increased from none in 1990 to 100 in 1992 (HONLEA 1993).

SRI LANKA