Nigerian, Indian held for smuggling in heroin from Pakistan

A 29-year-old Nigerian national and his Indian accomplice have been arrested when they were trying to smuggle  over eight kilogram heroin worth about Rs 20 crore into the country from Pakistan, police revealed on Thursday.

Theophilus, the Nigerian national, and Gurpreet (24), hailing from Punjab's Gurdaspur, were apprehended from the Pankha Road in west Delhi on Monday, said Sanjeev Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell). "We had information that heroin was being smuggled into India from Pakistan through the border in Punjab. The contraband is then brought to Delhi for sale in the national capital as well as in Mumbai," he added.

A total of 8.010 kilogram heroin worth around Rs20 crore has been recovered from them, said Yadav.

Theophilus come to Delhi in 2008 on a business visa and after expiry of visa, he did not go back. In 2009, he came in contact with an international drug mafia having their links in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Punjab, Delhi and Mumbai. "According to Theophilus, he operated on the instructions of his Nigerian counterpart based in Pakistan who would send the consignment through the  Punjab border.

"Theophilus then used to send his associate to Punjab to collect the consignment. The consignment was then sold either in Delhi or sent to Mumbai. He has disclosed that till date he has received around six consignments of heroin of various quantities," Yadav said.

In order to cover up his activities, Yadav said, Theophilus would pretend to be running a garment business. When Singh came to Delhi in 2009 and began working in a private firm, Theophilus lured him into ferrying contraband for him. For each consignment, he would get around Rs5,000. He delivered the consignment of drugs to traffickers in Delhi and Mumbai," he said.

Efforts are being made to identify the drug traffickers in Punjab, Delhi and Mumbai involved in the drug ring.