US, Nigerian nationals held in Delhi with cocaine worth Rs 5 cr

A US and a Nigerian national have been arrested here by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for allegedly running an international drug syndicate, and cocaine worth Rs 5 crore meant for the rave party circuit in the national capital was seized, officials said on Thursday.

A total of 4.2 kg of cocaine has been seized in an operation conducted by the anti-narcotics agency here over the last few days.

The US national, in his sixties, was apprehended from a hotel in Mahipalpur area with the cache of drug and he led the NCB sleuths to the Nigerian man who is alleged to be involved in the racket, officials said.

The man from the USA said he had received the cocaine consignment from Ecuador to be delivered to a person in Delhi who would push the drug in the rave party circuit of the national capital and nearby areas, they said.

The estimated value of the cocaine, a strong stimulant abused as a recreational drug, is about Rs 5 crore, they said, adding the two men have been arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

"The US national confessed that he has earlier trafficked drugs for which he travelled to countries like Brazil, South Africa, Hong Kong, among others.

"He said he was intending to establish a foundation under the name Hardway at Ohio in USA that would work for the homeless and he used to travel on the pretext of fund raising for the cause," NCB Deputy Director General (northern region) S K Jha said.

Officials said it has been noticed that cocaine, originating mostly from South American countries, is smuggled to other parts of the world by various modes like concealing in bags and goods and is even swallowed by drug mules.

Such cocaine syndicates based in South America have continuously tried to smuggle the drug to India which is not only a market but also a strategic transit point for passing on the drugs to far off countries, they said.