Most of Nigerian national held are in drug trafficking

More and more African nationals, particularly from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda countries, living in India are getting involved in organized crimes here, especially drug trafficking and black dollar scam.

Three days ago, the crime branch of Delhi Police had arrested two Nigerian nationals from the city, who were part of international drug traffickers, with heroin worth Rs 5 crore.

Ifeaneyi, 34 and Progress, 36, both from Nigeria and presently residing in west Delhi were nabbed for running inter-state racket.  The police recovered 2.5 kg of fine quality heroin worth Rs 5 crore from them.

During interrogation, Ifeaneyi told police that he came to India in 2008. He is engaged in whole-sale supply of heroin and cocaine in Delhi. “He supplies contraband to his fellow nationals who further give it in retail and he get the supply from a man with a code name as Joe, who is also a Nigerian national, and normally resides in Goa,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (crime) Ravindra Yadav.

The other accused Progress came to India in 2012 and was engaged in fake lottery scams. As he could not entice people, he entered into drugs trafficking. “Many Nigerian drug traffickers arrested by the police were involved in selling and smuggling heroin and cocaine,” said Yadav. 

These are not isolated cases.

Last year, 57 nationals from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda countries, were arrested for various criminal cases in Delhi. Around 35 of them were involved in drug trafficking. In 2012, 66 nationals from these countries were arrested for various offences.  Nigerian nationals were arrested in three incidents of heinous crimes—kidnapping, murder and extortion--in last two years.

On January 10, a Nigerian national was arrested by the Crime Branch for allegedly sending threatening text messages to jewellers across the country, asking them to pay up in exchange for “their well-being”.

The accused was identified Idehen Solomon Osazee, who had overstayed on a fake visa and had targeted another set of people earlier through a lottery scam. Several cases were registered at various police stations by distressed businessmen.

Few nationals with criminal mindset from these countries come to India on student and tourist visa and when it expires they forge documents and overstay in India. Whenever they are nabbed, during interrogation they tell investigators that they came to India for cloth trading and got influenced with drug traffickers to earn easy money.  They also run fake visa racket across the city.

Many national nabbed were also involved in fake lottery of black dollar scam. Last year, police busted various gangs involved in duping people by selling ‘black dollars’ and arrested Nigerian nationals. They claimed that it can be turned into original currency notes by cleaning them with a chemical.

Majority of these nationals lives in Malviya Nagar, Kalkaji, Munirka, Uttam Nagar, Dwarka, Dabri, Kingsway Camp and Burari. They stays mostly on metro station routes in the city.

ENDS