Nigerian national arrested for illegal stay in Hyderabad, 2 foreigners held for drug peddling
Hyderabad: Hyderabad police on Wednesday apprehended three foreign nationals including two Nigerians, one of them was residing in India without a valid visa, for drug peddling in Hyderabad. The arrests involved three different operations carried out by the Hyderabad City Police, in coordination with the Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) and local police units.
The Nigerian drug peddler, identified as Oliver Ugochukwu, alias Johnson, was arrested by the Langer Houz Police in coordination with H-NEW. Oliver, a resident of Mumbai, arrived in Hyderabad for a drug delivery. The police seized 1300 gm MDMA worth Rs 1.60 crore and a mobile phone from his possession.
According to police, Oliver visited India on a business visa in 2009. He was illegally staying in India even after the expiry of his visa in 2009 and passport in 2013. He has earlier served six years in prison in a drug-related case in Delhi. Subsequently, he shifted his base to Mumbai where he continued to sell drugs to his customers in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. As he did not get proper work to sustain himself, he took drug peddling to eke out a livelihood.
In the second operation, the police apprehended another Nigerian national Ikechukwu Sylvester Mbah alias Sylvester (40) for overstaying in the country. He entered India on a business visa in 2012 and was engaged in garments export business by purchasing clothes at cheaper rates in Mumbai.
Addressing a press conference, Task Force DCP YVS Sudheendra said that he was arrested by the Mumbai police in a passport-related case in 2019. After serving a jail term, Sylvester stayed with his Nigerian friends in Ulwe, a suburb of Navi Mumbai. Even though fellow Nigerians were involved in drug supplying and peddling, he did not join them and shared accommodation with them, the police officer said. Recently, Sylvester came to Hyderabad to meet his friends. Acting on a tip-off, the police apprehended him and initial inquiry revealed that he was living in the country without any valid visa. DCP Sudheendra said the arrested foreign national wil be deported to his country after completing the required formalities.
In another operation, a Guinea national Moussa Camara alias Romeo, was arrested by the Humanyun Nagar police in a drug related case registered last October. He was on the run and the police had issued a lookout notice for the accused person. An inquiry revealed the modus operandi followed by the 38-year-old Romeo to sell drugs to his customers. He would drop the drug parcel at some location and take a photograph of it and share it with the customer on WhatsApp and ask him to collect it. The payments were made through mule accounts, the DCP added.
Hyderabad: Nigerian National Detained Without Visa or Passport
H-NEW police apprehended a Nigerian national found roaming Hyderabad without valid documents. Investigation revealed he had been arrested in Mumbai in 2019 for a passport-related case and served two years in jail.… pic.twitter.com/QW5UB6xMB0
— Hyderabad Mail (@Hyderabad_Mail) February 6, 2025
