A 37-year-old Nigerian man, Jacob Ugwu, has been apprehended by the India Crime Branch for his suspected involvement in an extensive inter-state drug trafficking operation involving Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). The arrest was confirmed by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rajesh Dandotiya.
According to a report in the Times of India on Monday, Ugwu entered India a year ago, claiming to be seeking employment as a hotel cook. However, authorities allege that he established a base of operations in the Krishnapuri area of Delhi, where he reportedly ran a refreshment shop believed to be a front for the distribution of illicit drugs.
The arrest of Ugwu was a direct result of the interrogation of two Indian nationals, Hariom Jha (26) and Lakshya Singh Rajput (26), who were apprehended near the MR10 Bridge in Indore. At the time of their arrest, police seized 36 grams of MDMA, a Tata Altroz vehicle, and multiple mobile phones.
A police statement detailed the sequence of events: “The arrest of the Nigerian person, Jacob Nnabuike Ugwu (37), follows the earlier seizure of approximately 36 grams of illegal MD drugs, a Tata Altroz car, and mobile phones from two other accused, identified as Hariom Jha (26) and Lakshya Singh Rajput (26).”
Additional DCP Dandotiya indicated that Ugwu is believed to be a central figure orchestrating a significant drug distribution network that spans across several Indian states. “The accused is a native of Nigeria, originally from Enugu City. He confessed to residing in Delhi for the past 2-3 years, running a refreshment shop, and supplying MD drugs through other members of his gang for the past year,” stated Dandotiya.
The breakthrough came after the Indore crime branch acted on credible intelligence suggesting that Jha and Rajput were involved in supplying MDMA near the MR10 Bridge using a Tata Altroz vehicle. The subsequent interception and arrest led to the confiscation of the drugs and other incriminating evidence.
During their time in police remand, Jha and Rajput reportedly confessed to procuring the MDMA they were trafficking from a Nigerian supplier in Delhi identified as Jacob.
As a result, the trio has been booked under Crime Number 81/25, invoking Sections 8 and 22 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Ugwu is currently in police remand, where further investigation is underway to uncover the full extent of his network and identify any additional accomplices.
Additional DCP Dandotiya added that more arrests are likely as the investigation progresses and expands into the wider network of suppliers and peddlers connected to the accused. This incident underscores the ongoing efforts of Indian law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking and the involvement of foreign nationals in such criminal activities within the country.
