India arrests 5 Nigerians, Indian lady for drugs

The Times of India has reported the arrest of five Nigerians and an Indian lady by the Indian police, the latest in the serial busting of Nigerian gangs either for drug related crimes or fraud.

According to the newspaper, the Nigerians and their Indian accomplice were found in possession of a wide variety of drugs, including cocaine, brown sugar and amphetamine. They were also accused of human trafficking by way of offering Nigerian girls into prostitution.

Arrested were by the Rachakonda Police in Hyderabad were Palaparthi Sangeetha, 35, a resident of Sun City, her partner Cosmas Ojukwu, 30, their associates John Okorie, 26, a BA student of Nizam College, Okereke Cyril Anezi, 31, a BCom student of Nizam College and president of Nigerians in Hyderabad, John Paul Onyebuchi, 34, and Ogunka Henry Okechukwu, 31.

Sangeetha, the Indian partner of Cosmas and John Paul Onyebuchi were the first to be arrested. They were nabbed at a bus stop on Sunday night with three grams of cocaine and 200 grams of ganja in their possession.

Based on Sangeetha and John’s confessions, police raided Ojukwu Cosmas’ flat and arrested Cosmas having 10 grams of cocaine, 12 grams of brown sugar, 37 blue amphetamine tablets and 40 pink amphetamine tablets, a laptop, `1.54 lakh cash, three cell phones and an Activa vehicle in his possession.

Cosmas then told about his drug business in Hyderabad. “He had been procuring drugs from his friend Gabriel, who operates from Goa and Hyderabad. He supplied drugs through Sangeetha, John Paul and Henry,” Rachakonda commissioner Mahesh Bhagawat said.

After confessing about his drug network, Cosmas then, gave away the address of his associates John Paul, Henry and Cyril. Police seized seven grams of cocaine, 300 grams of ganja, Rs 50,000 cash, laptop and cell phones from their possession, the TOI reported.

The hansindia.com gave the total drugs seized as 20 grams of cocaine, 12 grams of brown sugar, 39.8 grams amphetamine tablets and pieces, 1.675 kg of ganja and Rs 2 lakh cash.

John Paul and Henry confessed that in addition to peddling drugs, they also trafficked Nigerian women to customers in Kushaiguda and Neredmet areas.

“The Indian visas of Cosmas, John Paul and Henry had expired years ago . John Paul was arrested twice by Mapusa police of Goa in 2016 for illegal stay and drug peddling. Despite knowing about all this, Cyril knowingly provided him shelter at his rented flat in Yapral,” the commissioner of police said.

Cosmas, who came to India in 2012, was reported to have links with drug peddlers operating in Goa, Mumbai and Chennai. He sold each gram of cocaine and brown sugar for Rs 20,000 to customers.