Nigerian drug-peddler fleeing from cops 'falls' to death

A 28-year-old Nigerian, suspected to be involved in a drug racket, died after allegedly falling down from a residential building here while fleeing a raid, police said Friday.

On noticing the raiding police team, Patrick William O tried to escape by sliding through a sewage pipe from the third floor of the flat, but was injured as it broke.

He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, but died without responding to treatment, city Commissioner of Police Anjani Kumar told reporters.

The commissioner said the police raided the building Thursday night on information about a drug racket and arrested three Nigerians allegedly possessing 20 gm of cocaine.

Interrogation of the three led to suspicion that there would be more people involved in the crime, prompting police to return to the flat again and spotted William.

The Nigerian had earlier been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for possessing 15 gm of cocaine, the commissioner said.

In the last four years, a total of 34 Nigerians had been arrested in the city in connection with crimes, including alleged drug-peddling and for overstaying despite expiry of visa, he said.

A continuous drive was on to make Hyderabad a drug-free city, he added.