Nigerian deported from India on drug trafficking charges

Nigerian deported from India on drug trafficking charges

Indian authorities have deported a Nigerian national, Victor Obasi, for illegal stay in the country and alleged drug trafficking.According to the Times of India, Victor, a resident of New Delhi, was apprehended by the Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing in the Tolichowki area of Hyderabad late last month.The police were said to have intercepted him moving under what they described as suspicious circumstances.The news platform added that his passport and visa had expired years ago, and he was unable to produce any valid documentation during questioning.“Following his arrest, authorities initiated deportation proceedings in coordination with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, Hyderabad, and the Nigerian High Commission in New Delhi.“Because Victor’s travel documents were no longer valid, the Nigerian mission issued him an Emergency Travel Document, while Indian officials provided an exit permit to facilitate his removal. He was subsequently flown back to Lagos, Nigeria, from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on January 13, 2026,” the platform wrote.PUNCH Metro learnt from the platform that Victor originally entered India on a tourist visa via Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on December 31, 2011, and later established himself in various business ventures, including a cloth export trade and operating a restaurant in Delhi.However, after his official status expired, he continued to reside in India without legal permission.During the investigation, police said he had, over the years, come into contact with drug peddlers and individuals suspected of drug trafficking, and that his activities were considered potentially harmful to national security.“The action was taken to prevent the suspect from engaging in further unlawful activities that could pose a threat to national security,” police told reporters as they outlined the case.This case followed an arrest made just days earlier in the same city involving Victor and another Nigerian national, Chidi Ezeh (42), who was detained with 150 grams of MDMA—a synthetic drug—during a separate intelligence-led operation.In that incident, authorities said Ezeh had remained illegally in India after his visa expired and was part of a wider syndicate supplying drugs across Hyderabad, Bengaluru and other cities.On his part, Victor was described by police as a first-time offender who entered India in 2011 on a tourist visa and later went into business before being linked to the current case.However, authorities said his illegal immigration status made him liable for immediate removal from the country after preliminary investigations.According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing, Vaibhav Gaikwad, Ezeh would be charged under the relevant provisions of India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, while investigations into the wider network were ongoing.“Incidents like this highlight the sophisticated transnational networks that continue to traffic illicit substances into our cities. Our intelligence-driven operations are aimed at dismantling these networks and preventing further criminal activity,” Gaikwad added.The Hyderabad police have reiterated their commitment to cracking down on illegal residency, drug trafficking and organised crime networks, urging citizens to assist law enforcement with credible information and to report suspicious activity.

Source: Nigerian deported from India on drug trafficking charges

 - NigerianEye
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