4 Nigerians Arrested in India Over ₦2.1bn Drug Bust

(The seized drugs. Photo credit: Punch News)

Four Nigerian nationals have been arrested in India in connection with a drug trafficking network.

Drugs and controlled substances worth approximately 2.1 billion naira were recovered during the operations.

The arrests followed coordinated investigations by India’s Narcotics Control Bureau, state police and other security agencies that targeted foreign nationals allegedly involved in drug trafficking and overstaying their visas.

The investigation began on July 18 after the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force provided information that led authorities to Khanpur, Delhi.

During an operation there, police arrested Obase Prosper Ogboronjor, a Nigerian national, and recovered over 5 kilograms of amphetamine.

Ogboronjor was also wanted by the task force in connection with a cyber fraud case involving approximately 68 lakh rupees.

He had been overstaying in India despite his medical visa expiring in June 2023.

A follow-up operation on July 21 in Gurugram led to the arrest of another Nigerian, Abuchi George Okorie.

Police seized nearly 10 kilograms of amphetamine and about 68 kilograms of pseudoephedrine, a controlled substance used in manufacturing methamphetamine.

Okorie had entered India on a medical attendant visa that expired in June 2015 but remained in the country illegally.

Further investigations on August 3 led authorities to a property in Mehrauli, Delhi, where police seized 318 grams of cocaine and 6 grams of heroin.

Two more Nigerians, Uchenna Stephen Nwanko and Chikezie Joshua Igwe, were arrested.

According to authorities, both men had been living illegally in India for over 13 years.

During that operation, an African woman whose identity was not yet established tried to escape by jumping from a balcony and was injured.

She is currently receiving treatment.

The Narcotics Control Bureau has urged hotels, guest houses and landlords to follow laws requiring them to report information about foreign nationals staying with them.

The agency announced plans for a nationwide campaign called “Trinetra” starting in the first week of September 2026 to identify foreign nationals illegally overstaying in India and suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.