A significant blow was dealt to the active drug syndicates in India as the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in collaboration with the Air Intelligence Unit, carried out a joint operation at the International Airport in Chennai, seizing 5.618 kilograms of cocaine. This internationally-sourced haul is valued at a staggering 6 billion INR. The illicit substances arrived on a flight from Addis Ababa operated by Ethiopian Airlines.
During the operation, NCB apprehended two Indian nationals. The suspects include a 25-year-old Bachelor of Arts graduate from Bageshwar, Uttarakhand, and a 26-year-old ITI graduate from Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. The seized cocaine, high in quality, was concealed within personal baggage and intended for individual sale in gram packets.
Pricing of the contraband in India ranges from 8,000 to 12,000 INR per gram, depending on the level of adulteration, thereby preventing a substantial quantity from saturating local retail markets. Notably, on August 31, Delhi Police also executed a significant raid against drug mafias, capturing two Nigerian nationals in Uttam Nagar with 248 grams of cocaine.
Source: aajtak
The police identified the apprehended individuals as 48-year-old Chukwu Andrew and 43-year-old Kone Pays Daniel, both hailing from Lagos, Nigeria. Alongside cocaine trafficking charges, they faced legal issues due to overstaying their visa limits in India. Forged passports and visas were also found in their possession as they primarily targeted affluent individuals and students.
Delhi Police acted on intelligence to conduct a raid on August 24 in the Om Vihar area of Uttam Nagar. Andrew was caught with 135 grams of cocaine. He confessed that he came to India in 2009 and overstayed after his visa expired. He was linked to a drug network by a Nigerian contact named Saint, who was deported months prior.
Exploiting information provided by Andrew, police captured Daniel on August 27 in the same area, recovering 113 grams of cocaine. Police inquiries remain ongoing to dismantle the drug networks operating in Delhi and nearby regions. These cases clearly highlight the targeting of India by international drug syndicates.
