Delhi's Nigerian cocaine 'kingpin' nabbed, drug peddling gang busted

Fill, a 33-year-old Nigerian, is cooling his heels in Tihar Jail under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

With his arrest, Delhi Police have heaved a sigh of relief as the "kingpin" was heading a well-organised drug racket that used to supply high quality cocaine at Delhi's plush pubs and bars.

Fill, alias Steve (who uses only one name), was nabbed on April 2 from Rajendra Nagar in central Delhi on a tip-off. He had gone to supply 54 grams of pure cocaine to one of his well-heeled clients.

The drug was worth between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.50 lakh, depending on negotiation, and would have fetched at least Rs.54 lakh in the international market.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ravindra Yadav told IANS that Fill was the "kingpin" of the drug racket, which was running in Delhi since 2009. The racket had a network of suppliers, comprising youngsters, who did dealings with clients.

Top Delhi Police sources told IANS they are close to capturing the other members of the gang.

The drugs business, though, was apparently not in Fill's scheme of things when he landed in India in 2008.

According to what he has told police, he had come here to start a business venture in readymade garments. However, Fill was cheated by a fellow countryman of all his money -- leaving him penniless, which forced him to take up the drug peddling business.

Fill is lodged in Tihar Jail on charges of possessing, purchasing, selling, storing and transporting contraband drugs in the national capital.

After he was cheated of his money, Fill told police, he had to beg to fulfil his daily needs, and later started providing consultancy to Nigerian visitors about Delhi.

"Thereafter, he came in contact with another Nigerian named KC, a supplier of cocaine in Delhi, in the beginning of 2009 and joined his gang," Yadav said.

The officer said that Fill started selling cocaine to Indian customers along with KC in south Delhi pubs and bars.

"Later in 2011 or 2012, KC was caught by police and deported to Nigeria. But Fill continued to evade the police. His illegal cocaine business was thriving. He used different mobile phone numbers for his cocaine business," the officer said.

Fill used to sell one "pudia" (one gram) of cocaine for between Rs.15,000-Rs.1 lakh, depending on the demand and time of day. The rates would go up as the evening advanced.

A crime branch team, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) M.A. Rizvi, consisting of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ranbir Singh, inspector Devender and his team, arrested Fill from Rajendra Nagar on a tip-off on April 2.

(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)