Agency: An Indian national named Aamir Rasul Shikalgar has been sentenced to 20 years for drug smuggling into Paro Airport from Thailand.
On 04/02/2025 at around 12:30 pm, the Department of Regional Revenue and Customs seized 19.289 kilograms of heroin from the bag of an Indian national, Aamir Rasul Shikalgar during a routine luggage inspection. Aamir arrived at the Paro International Airport from Thailand. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG), hence, charged the defendant for illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs under Section 139(1) of the Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substance and Substance Abuse Act of Bhutan 2015.
The Defendant, however, denied the charge of illicit trafficking, claiming that he was merely following instructions from his friend, Tanvir Bolin, who had promised him a job with no associated risks. According to Aamir, he travelled to Laos with his family for this purpose, with all travel expenses covered by his friend Tanvir. While in Laos, he was approached by two unidentified individuals who gave him a total of USD 900 in three separate installments and handed him three different suitcases. Aamir stated that he was unaware of any heroin concealed inside the luggage. He entered Bhutan on a connecting flight from Laos and was subsequently apprehended at the airport.
The questions before the court was whether the defendant’s action of possessing and importing 19.289 kgs of heroin powder into Bhutan constitute an offence of illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs under the Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substance and Substance Abuse Act of Bhutan 2015.