Nigerian man arrested in India after renting another house near his residence to hoard drugs
Sleuths of CCB’s anti-narcotics wing in Bengaluru, India have arrested a Nigerian man allegedly involved in drug peddling and seized 4kg of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) crystals.
Times of India reported on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, that the accused, Henry Chukwuemeka, 36, stays at Anjanadri Layout in Jalahalli West, north Bengaluru.
Based on a tip-off, sleuths raided Chukwuemeka’s house at 3.30 pm on April 6, 2024.
Although no drugs were found there, cops learned that the Nigerian had rented another house adjacent to his residence only to hide drugs.
When they raided that house, they found 4kg of MDMA, a weighing machine, three vanity bags, three black-colour carbon packing covers, and other valuables.
Chukwuemeka told police he sourced the drugs from foreign countries via courier. The drugs were packed using black covers and hidden inside vanity bags. He would then repack them in smaller quantities and sell each gram of MDMA crystal for Rs 8,000-10,000.
Chukwuemeka came to India in 2022 on a business visa and overstayed once it expired. He said the drugs packed in black covers would usually go unnoticed.
If someone did notice, they assumed it to be cosmetic powder left in the vanity bag or prasadam of a temple. A case under the NDPS Act and Foreigners Act has been registered against him. His customers included college students, IT professionals, businessmen, and youth.
Chukwuemeka had an organized network of customers. They had to place orders over the phone or via WhatsApp. Chukwuemeka would quote the price based on the quantity the customer was buying, collect the money, and pack the drug in a small packet.
He would go to a random place, throw the packet under a tree or beside a Bescom electric pole, take a photo of the drug pack along with the tree or pole. He would then send the photo to the customer on WhatsApp and also share the location of the place.
The customer was expected to reach the place following the location on the map and retrieve the packet. Chukwuemeka followed this modus operandi to avoid revealing his identity.
