Nigerians top list of foreigners held for drug trafficking in India

According to authorities in India, Nigerian nationals have topped the list of foreigners arrested for drug smuggling in Navi Mumbai, India over the past five years.

A total of 66 narcotic related cases were registered between 2012 and April, this year in the city. Nigerian nationals were involved in 14 of these cases, the police said.

Since 2012, the police have arrested 14 foreign nationals for smuggling drugs to the city and 13 of them were from Nigeria, while one was from Ghana.

Barely a week ago, the police arrested one Nigerian from Kopar Khairane who had come to sell mephedrone rock and powder. Around 25 gram of the drug in powder form and 85 gram in rock form collectively worth Rs 3.30 lakh was seized from his possession.

Speaking to Hindustan Times,  Tushar Doshi, the deputy commissioner of police, said: 

'When it comes to drug smuggling by foreign nationals, by and large all the criminals are from Africa in general and from Nigeria in particular. The number of foreign nationals including those from Africa has also increased in the city over the past two years.'

The police said that these Nigerians work in networks which also operate in other cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Pune. Apart from their countrymen, several Indians are also working in those networks.

Officials from the city special branch told Hindustan Times that presently around 950 foreign nationals from nearly 70 counties are staying in Navi Mumbai and around 50 of them are Africans.

Amit Shellar, police sub-inspector from the anti-narcotic cell who also reacted to the report, said: 

'Most of the Nigerians arrested for drug smuggling, had come to India on a business visa. Initially, they would export garments from Mumbai to their country. However, when their business would fail, they would trade drugs for easy money.'

'Apart from drug smuggling, several Nigerians were also arrested for online cheating, credit card and debit card frauds among others,' he added