Chandigarh: 35-year-old Nigerian held with 300 gms heroin worth Rs 1.12 crore

He was identified as Davies, a resident of Dwarka in New Delhi.

Police said the accused came from Delhi to Chandigarh for supplying narcotic substance to some of his regular customers, who had paid the advance amount to him two days ago. The value of 300 gram heroin —which falls in the category of commercial quantity — is Rs 1.12 crore in the international market. He was arrested by a team of the District Crime Cell.

There is a provision of life imprisonment for suspects convicted for possessing drugs in the commercial quantity under the NDPS Act.

The District Crime Cell incharge, Inspector Narendra Patial, said that a team was on regular patrolling duty when the accused was found standing at roadside in suspicious circumstances. His frisking led to the recovery of heroin.

The initial interrogation of accused revealed that he came to India from Nigeria on study visa in 2019 for taking admission in National Institute of Technology (NIT) in New Delhi. Later, he joined a group of his countrymen, who were already involved in drug peddling.

Sources said that Davies started delivering the consignments in Delhi and other neighbouring states. He used to accept advance payments for the narcotics through online modes.

Police said that though Davies claimed that his study visa is valid from 2019 to 2022, they decided to check the status of his visa and other documents from the foreign registration office in New Delhi.

The accused will be produced in the local court for his police custody on Wednesday. A case was registered at Sector 39 police station.

It is the fifth seizure of the narcotics made by the District Crime Cell in the last three months. Earlier, five people, including a Chandigarh woman and a man from Delhi, were arrested for possessing the narcotic substances in Chandigarh. More than 25 kilograms of narcotics have been seized from their possession.