Nigerian man arrested with MDMA and ecstasy pills worth Rs 5 crore in Bengaluru: police

The Anti-Narcotics Wing of the Central Crime Branch of the Bengaluru city police has busted a major drug peddling racket and arrested a foreign national, recovering MDMA and ecstasy pills worth Rs 5.15 crore in the international market, officials said on Tuesday.
The police identified the arrested accused as Ernest Onyekachi Ugah, 45, who hails from Nigeria and was allegedly operating from a rented house in the Munnekolalu area under the Marathahalli police station limits.
Acting on intelligence inputs, the Anti-Narcotics Wing arrested the accused on Monday night while he was allegedly involved in peddling narcotic substances. The police said they seized 2.5 kg of MDMA and 300 ecstasy pills from his possession.
According to the police, Ugah has two previous cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against him at the Hennur police station and the Kadugodi police station, both in Bengaluru city. He had been recently released from jail. Officers of the Anti-Narcotics Wing had been closely monitoring his movements before arresting him.
“The accused had come to the city around five years ago for medical treatment, but overstayed and remained involved in unlawful activities. His visa has expired, yet he continued to stay in the country and was repeatedly found involved in criminal activities,” a police officer said.
A case has been registered against Ugah under the NDPS Act.
Further investigation is underway to trace the source of the contraband, identify backward and forward linkages, and uncover other individuals involved in the drug network, the police said.
Police officers also stressed the need for fast-track trials in cases involving repeat offenders and foreign nationals, noting that delays in the judicial process enable accused persons to secure bail and continue committing offences.
“If fast-track trials are conducted, such accused can be deported to their home country at the earliest. In the absence of fast-track proceedings, they keep getting bail and continue with the same offences,” the officer said, adding that bail conditions need to be made more stringent for accused involved in drug cases, especially repeated offenders.