Nigerian Couple Arrested in India for Possession of Drugs Worth N62m

Iyi Ugochukwu Emmanuel and Enebeli Omamma Vivian, a Nigerian couple living in Baner, a suburb of Pune, India, have been arrested by the police for being in possession of drugs worth over N60 million.

According to the Indian Express, the police seized 664 grams of mephedrone worth N40 million and 201 grams of cocaine worth N22 million from the couple during a raid that was carried out on July 26.

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The raid was said to be the product of a tip-off the police had received about suspected drug racketeers in the area.

The police suspect that Iyi, 43, and Enebeli, 30, acted as mid-level distributors who receive larger consignments of drugs from their source and sell them to peddlers.

“Primary probe suggests Emmanuel had come on a commercial visa to India on the pretext of selling items like garments and shoes. He was arrested in a drugs case in 2018 after which his passport was impounded. He was released on bail in 2019,” said Vinayak Gaikwad, the senior inspector of police handling the case.

“We have come to know that Vivian, too, came to India on a commercial visa recently.”

The police also said that weighing scales, small polythene bags and cell phones were seized from the Nigerians during the raid.

FIJ