Nigerian national among four arrested with drugs

Four men, including a Nigerian, were arrested in separate incidents in the capital for allegedly possessing heroin and other drugs worth over Rs five crore, police said today.
In the first case, three persons -- Pannalal (32), a body builder, Manvender Singh Shekhawat (28) and Nigerian national Henry Chiendu (39) -- were apprehended here between April 6 and 10.
Sanjeev Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), said they seized 1.8-kg heroin and 4.2-kg of other psychotropic substances Alprazolam, Acitic Anhydride, Phenobarbital and Pseudoephedrine worth over Rs 5 crore from them.
"Initially Chiendu identified himself as John Henry Mark from Ghana and a passport of Ghana was also recovered from him. He claimed that he came to India in November 2011 on business Visa which was later extended.

"However, the passport and visa were found to be fake. It came to light that he came to India in 2008 on a business visa for a month. Thereafter, he destroyed his Nigerian passport and procured a fake Ghanaian passport in a fictitious name," Yadav said.
The official also claimed that Chiendu told them that he was smuggling heroin to various countries like South-Africa, France, Canada, England and Nigeria through courier companies for the past one year.

Body-builder Pannalal is an expert in preparing pure heroin with the help of crude heroin and psychotropic substances, Yadav claimed, and said he prepared heroin in a rented house.

"He allegedly procures crude heroin and other chemicals from one Taimur Khan. Although he is a school dropout, he is very fluent in English. He and his brother had worked in Malaysia during 2002-2005. His brother was arrested in Malaysia in a case of violation of Immigration laws," he said.
Meanwhile, 32-year-old Sunil was apprehended from near Metcalfe House on Ring Road allegedly with 350 grams of heroin worth around Rs 35 lakh.
"He told us that he was into drug peddling for the past four years and purchases the contraband from Kasim Nagar in Ghaziabad. His sister-in-law allegedly suggested him to join hands so as to earn quick money and overcome their poor financial conditions," Ravindra Yadav, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), said.