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Nigerian man arrested in Mohali with 540 g of high-grade cocaine: police

The Nigerian citizen was stopped at a checkpoint near Golden Estate, Kharar, in Mohali.

The Mohali police take to court a Nigerian citizen allegedly caught with drugs (Express photo by Jasbir Malhi)

Under their state-wide “War Against Drugs” campaign, Punjab Police on Monday claimed to have arrested a Nigerian citizen in Mohali with 540 g of high-grade cocaine and Rs 10,000 believed to be proceeds from illegal drugs sales.

Echzoaa Ezeawna Rio Abrnr, originally from Awka, Imo state, Nigeria, was stopped at a checkpoint near Golden Estate, Kharar, the police said. He lived at Golden Estate, Sector 115, Khooni Majra, Kharar. A search of his backpack yielded 540 g of cocaine, Rs 10,000 in cash, eight large and 10 small empty sachets, a digital scale, a steel spoon, a roll of tape marked “Zomato”, and assorted coloured rubber bands, according to the police.

“Preliminary interrogation reveals he brought the entire consignment from the NCR-Delhi and targeted college and university students in Kharar,” said Harmandeep Singh Hans, Senior Superintendent of Police.

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The accused was produced before a magistrate, who remanded him in police custody for two days. His mobile phone has been handed over to a forensic team to trace the wider drug network, and further arrests are expected.

The operation was led by Superintendent of Police (Rural) Manpreet Singh and Deputy Superintendent of Police Karan Singh Sandhu, with Sadar Kharar Station House Officer Amarinder Singh supervising it.

An FIR was registered at the Kharar Sadar police station on June 21 under section 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

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