TWO NIGERIANS ARRESTED IN INDIA OVER ALLEGED DRUG TRAFFICKING
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
At least two Nigerians, identified as Chima Ibe and Chimezie Lazarus, are facing trial in India after being arrested in separate operations for alleged drug trafficking.
Ibe, 40, was apprehended by the Tulinj Police in Nalasopara East, Maharashtra, during a major anti-narcotics operation on Monday. He was found in possession of over one kilogram of methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), valued at more than ₹2.08 crore (about ₦343 million).
According to The Free Press Journal, the drugs, concealed in transparent plastic bags, were recovered from his apartment along with ₹34,500 (₦569,000) in cash. Police confirmed the substance was meth, which sells for around ₹20,000 (₦330,000) per gram on the black market.
The operation, carried out around 12:30 a.m. by a team led by API Sunil Pawar and PSI Dilip Ghuge, followed a tip-off. Ibe was booked under Sections 8(c) and 21(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and remanded in custody.
In a separate incident, the Delhi Crime Branch dismantled a narcotics racket and arrested three people, including 35-year-old Lazarus, who had been residing in the capital. Police recovered 194 grams of cocaine worth ₹2.25 crore (₦371 million) from the suspects.
Authorities said two Indian couriers, Wadhwa and Kadir, were first arrested in Rohini on September 6 with 85 grams of cocaine. Their interrogation led police to Lazarus, also known as Zudo, who was arrested in Mehrauli on September 10 with another 109 grams of cocaine.
Investigators revealed that Lazarus, who came to India in January 2023 for medical treatment, turned to drug trafficking due to financial hardship. He allegedly ran a distribution network across Delhi, Gurugram, Meerut, Chandigarh, and Haldwani, using former taxi drivers as couriers paid about ₹1,000 per delivery.
Police said efforts are ongoing to trace the wider network, its financial links, and possible international connections.
The arrests add to the growing list of Nigerians held in India for drug-related offences. On September 12, police in Kozhikode City arrested eight Nigerians in a similar case.
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