Two Nigerians have been arrested in India in separate anti-narcotics operations for alleged involvement in drug trafficking.
One of the suspects, identified as 40-year-old Chima Ibe, was apprehended by police in Nalasopara East on Monday during what authorities described as a major crackdown on illicit drugs.
According to reports by The Free Press Journal, police raided Ibe’s apartment in Pragatinagar where they allegedly recovered more than one kilogram of methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) concealed in transparent plastic bags.
The seized substance, with an estimated street value of over ₹2.08 crore (about N343 million), was taken along with ₹34,500 (about N569,000) in cash.
“The seized substance was confirmed as meth, which is sold for around ₹20,000 (about N330,000) per gram in the black market,” the Indian police said.
The operation, led by officers Sunil Pawar and Dilip Ghuge, was carried out around 12:30 a.m. following a tip-off. Ibe has since been charged under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and remanded in custody.
In another case, the Delhi Police Crime Branch dismantled a cocaine syndicate and arrested three suspects, including a Nigerian, Chimezie Lazarus, popularly known as Zudo.
Lazarus, 35, was arrested on September 10 in Mehrauli after police recovered 109 grams of cocaine from him. His arrest followed the earlier capture of two Indian couriers, Wadhwa and Kadir, on September 6 in Rohini, who were allegedly found with 85 grams of cocaine.
Police said interrogation of the duo led to Lazarus, believed to be the main supplier. In total, 194 grams of cocaine valued at about ₹2.25 crore (N371 million) was seized.
Investigators said Lazarus entered India in January 2023 for medical treatment but later turned to drug trafficking due to financial difficulties. He allegedly created a distribution network covering Delhi, Gurugram, Meerut, Chandigarh, and Haldwani, using ex-taxi drivers as couriers paid about ₹1,000 per trip.
Authorities confirmed that he had no previous criminal record but maintained that further investigations were ongoing to dismantle the wider cartel and trace its international links.