A Nigerian drug supplier, an absconding offender from Guinea, and another Nigerian national found living in India without a valid visa, were arrested by the Hyderabad City Police, in coordination with the Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) and local police units.
In the first operation, the Langer Houz Police, along with H-NEW, arrested a Nigerian national, Oliver Ugochukwu, alias Johnson, John, or Emji, 44, originally from Imo State, Nigeria, and residing in Nallasopara, Mumbai.
“Acting on credible intelligence, law enforcement officials seized 1,300 grams of MDMA worth ₹1.60 crore and a mobile phone from his possession. Investigations revealed that Oliver entered India on a business visa in 2009 and after failing to sustain himself through legal means, got involved in drug peddling,” said the police.
Despite the expiry of his visa in 2009 and passport in 2013, he continued to stay in the country. Previously, he was arrested in 2013 by the Delhi police for heroin possession and served six years in prison. Upon release, he relocated to Mumbai, where he resumed drug trafficking, procuring MDMA from another Nigerian national in Delhi and distributing it across Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. He was apprehended in Hyderabad while waiting for further instructions regarding a drug delivery.
In a separate operation, the police detained another Nigerian national, Ikechukwu Sylvester Mbah, alias Sylvester, 40, who was found living in India without a valid visa. Arriving in Mumbai in 2012 on a business visa, he was initially involved in clothing trade. However, he was later arrested by the Taloja Police in Navi Mumbai in 2019 for violations under the Passport Act. After serving two years in Central Prison, Navi Mumbai, he took shelter with other Nigerian nationals involved in drug peddling, though he claimed he was not directly engaged in their activities. Recently, he travelled to Hyderabad to meet acquaintances linked to the drug trade, leading to his apprehension in Humayun Nagar police jurisdiction. Following legal formalities, he is being deported to Nigeria.
In a third operation, H-NEW and Humayun Nagar police arrested a 38-year-old Guinean national, Moussa Camara, alias Romeo, who was absconding in connection with an ongoing narcotics case.
“Camara, who arrived in India on a medical visa in 2020, was arrested at Mumbai International Airport for smuggling cocaine, and served six months in Arthur Road Jail. After his release, he built connections with Nigerian drug suppliers in Mumbai before moving to Bangalore, where he became actively involved in drug trafficking. Seeking to expand his operations in Hyderabad, he came to the city to establish a new consumer base but was apprehended by the police at Paramount Hills, Tolichowki,” added the police.
A mobile phone linked to his drug transactions was seized. Investigations revealed that Camara supplied drugs through an elaborate ‘dead drop’ method, where he would leave narcotics at a designated location and share the details with buyers while receiving payments through digital transactions.
Published – February 05, 2025 08:50 pm IST