A majority of crimes registered to police in the first five months of this fiscal year were in the eastern and the central regions, data provided by Nepal Police Headquarters show. Police had maintained the database of the crimes under 14 headings which include murder, attempt to murder, theft and burglary, abduction and rape. According to the data, 82 cases of murder and 101 cases of attempt to murder were reported in Central region, highest among all the regions. Drug related crimes and abduction were equal in both eastern and central regions. The eastern region witnessed the highest number of crimes related to possession of illegal arms with 35 reported cases. The eastern region also topped the list of crimes related to human trafficking (21), rape (141) and attempt to rape (78). Crimes related to torture and assault over witchcraft allegation were high in the central region with 13 reported cases. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Nawaraj Silwal, former chief of Eastern Regional Police Office, said though the report suggests a rise in criminal activities, it should be read as an increase in the number of people reporting the crime. He claimed that more people are reporting criminal activities, including minor offences, that take place in their community. DIG Silwal said police were successful at making arrests and stopping cross-border crimes, including human trafficking and drugs and arms smuggling, with the cooperation of Indian authorities. As Nepal and India share open border, the border towns on both sides have high number of crimes related to drug smuggling, human trafficking and abduction, among others. Officials from Nepal and India have pledged increased collaboration and information sharing to check cross-border crimes in a joint meeting on border management that took place in Pokhara recently.