4 min readChandigarhJul 19, 2026 08:52 AM IST
First published on: Jul 19, 2026 at 08:52 AM IST
From the streets of Lagos to the hills of Kathmandu, foreign nationals from four countries have figured in criminal cases registered in Panchkula over the past five years, with drug trafficking emerging as the single biggest offence.
Data accessed by The Indian Express shows that 26 foreign nationals were arrested in the district between 2021 and 2026. Of these, 18 — nearly seven out of every 10 — were booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, making narcotics offences the dominant reason for police action against foreigners.
Nepal accounted for the highest number of arrests, with 17 nationals booked during the period, followed by seven Nigerians. One national each from Kenya and Zimbabwe was also arrested.
Heroin was the drug most frequently seized. Almost all Nigerian nationals were arrested in separate heroin recovery cases, while the Kenyan national was also booked under the NDPS Act.
The remaining eight arrests were spread across a range of offences. Two foreign nationals were booked in cheating cases and two under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. One case each related to theft, gambling, the Excise Act and a road accident.
The accused were largely young adults. The youngest was 19-year-old Nepalese national Sachin Kumar, who was arrested in 2024 under the POCSO Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in a case involving alleged sexual assault of a minor.
The oldest accused was 63-year-old Dal Bahadur, also from Nepal, who was arrested in 2021 under the Excise Act. Unlike most foreign nationals arrested in Panchkula, his case did not involve narcotics.
Year-wise, 2022 recorded the highest number of arrests with eight foreign nationals being booked. This was followed by four arrests each in 2021, 2023 and 2025, while three arrests each were made in 2024 and 2026.
Panchkula Commissioner of Police Pankaj Nain said the figures reflected sustained enforcement against drug trafficking and other offences involving foreign nationals.
“Our action is intelligence-driven and strictly based on evidence, irrespective of the nationality of the accused. The majority of cases involving foreign nationals during the past five years relate to NDPS offences, particularly heroin trafficking, which remains a key focus area for the police. We are working in close coordination with central agencies and other state police forces to identify and dismantle drug supply networks,” he said.
Nain added that the data should not be viewed as reflecting on any particular nationality or community.
“Law enforcement action is taken solely on the basis of violations of law. We continue to strengthen surveillance, verification and inter-agency coordination to ensure public safety while dealing firmly with organised crime and narcotics-related offences,” he said.
The data also points to a shift in the crime profile involving foreign nationals. While earlier years saw arrests in a wider range of offences, including excise violations, theft, gambling and road accidents, recent years have been dominated by narcotics cases, suggesting that anti-drug operations have increasingly driven police action.
It also highlights distinct patterns by nationality. Nigerian nationals were almost exclusively arrested in heroin-related NDPS cases, while Nepalese nationals were booked across a much broader range of offences, including narcotics, cheating, POCSO, theft, excise violations, gambling and accident cases.
Foreign nationals arrested in Panchkula (2021–2026)
Crime-wise break-up
Data accessed by The Indian Express shows that 26 foreign nationals were arrested in the district between 2021 and 2026. (File Photo) 
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