Kathmandu, June 10:

Nepal Police Saturday night seized the largest amount of refined hashish Saturday night from Kathmandu.

An anti-drug operation squad seized 2,640 kgs of hashish, which was the largest amount it ever recovered in its single operation in the history narcotics seizure in Nepal.

Police claimed that the seized narcotics were the largest quantity ever confiscated in the capital.

Police have also arrested five traders for their alleged involvement in the illegal drug trading.

Anti-drug squad confiscated the contraband from Chalnakhel Seti Devi VDC-9 of Kathmandu.

The contraband was packed in 88 jute sacks.

"This was the first time in the history of Nepal Police that our special intelligence operation squad involved in anti-drug operation seized the highest quantity of hashish," Sher Bahadur Basnet, Superintendent of Police (SP), said.

SP Basnet said the amount of the seized contraband was bigger than the total seizure of last year. Nepal police squad ha confiscated only 1,271 kgs of hashish last year.

"We have succeeded to confiscate the amount within two months of the current fiscal year, which proved intense mobilization of our intelligence," Basnet said.

The special anti-drug squad led by police inspector Krishna Gopal Paneru of the Narcotic Drug Control and Law Enforcement Unit (NDCLEU), Baneswore, seized the contraband.

Speaking at a news conference, SP Basnet said the traders were arrested after long continued efforts and monitoring.

"This is an intelligence-based operation carried out by the special squad of NDCLEU after police received information about the entry of contraband in the capital," SP Basnet said.

All the arrestees were from Makwanpur district. They included Hasta Bahadur Rumba, 29, and Chandra Bahadur Gole, 21, of Sarikhet Palashe VDC-2.

Tirtha Bahadur Rai, 29, of Manahari VDC-5, Bire Lama, 22, of Manahari-3, and Kumar Lama, 28, of Sarikhet Palashe VDC-7 were also arrested.

SP Basnet said five of them had supplied the hashish from Makawanpur as non-refinery product which would be later converted into pure heroin after necessary processing.

The group was found involved in the same profession for a long time in a very organized way in Makwanpur district and in the capital too.

Basically, the group was found smuggling such contraband in India and China where there is high demand of non-refined products, said SP Basnet.

Among the arrestees, Hasta, Tirtha and Bire were the main agents they were supplying the contraband in foreign countries.

As per a preliminary investigation, police have assumed that the contraband was at first produced in mountainous region of Makwanpur district and latter exported to India and other countries.

Police caught them red-handed while they were preparing to export the contraband by making false-bottom in different public vehicles.