NEW DELHI: The arrest of an Afghan national and a Nigerian has indicated that Delhi may be turning into a transit city where drugs from Afganisthan, led by international drug cartels like Haji Zia gang of Kandahar, are being brought in for consumption in European and African markets along with farmhouses and posh localities of the national capital. The duo was arrested allegedly with 1.6 kg of heroin worth around Rs 3 crore in the international market. The arrests, made by the Special Cell, is the third in the city after drug cartels run by Nigerians and northeast India's militant organizations were busted last week.
Mohammad Sarwar (32), hailing from Kandahar, and Emeka Paul (27) from Nigeria were apprehended from near Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology in southwest Delhi's Dwarka recently. "We received a tip-off about foreign nationals supplying drugs from across the border to different countries with Delhi as a transit point. Investigations led to the arrests of two people," Arun Kampani, DCP (Special Cell), said.
Sarwar was carrying heroin by wrapping the packet on his right leg resembling a plaster. The drug dealers entered India on the pretext of medical treatment, Kampani said.
"Sarwar is a school dropout and came to India on the pretext of getting his wife treated about three months back. But he is actually a member of the international drug mafia Haji Zia. Sarwar and other carriers carried the drugs in their stomach in the form of capsules which were extracted after arrival in the country. The fact that he had been operating for the past four years without being traced shows how they managed to clear customs with ease. This unique method helps in evading authorities in intercepting them at the airports," Kampani said.
Paul came to India on a business visa in 2006 and after that has visited the country on one pretext or the other every six months. "He has been in the drug racket for long but was caught for the first time. He obtains drugs from Afghani nationals and other dealers based in Punjab. He then supplies it to criminals of Nigerian origin based in Delhi. We are investigating if any part of this money supports terrorism of any form," Kampani said. The drugs are sent out of the country at much higher prices and a part of it is consumed through a chain of Nigerian suppliers to consumers in Delhi and NCR.
The Special Cell had busted a cocaine racket recently in which two Nigerians Mohemmed Owolabi Adigun and Akanbi Olamilekan Mohemmed were arrested and huge quantity of cocaine was recovered from their possession. Also, 200 kg of Ephedrine used for making stimulants such as the ecstasy drug was also recovered by Special Cell from a suspected Manipuri militant recently.
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