The Hindu : New Delhi News : Nigerian held with white heroin

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 04, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Nigerian held with white heroin

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JUNE 3. A 29-year-old Nigerian national allegedly engaged in large-scale drug trafficking for the past couple of years has been arrested along with an Indian accomplice by the Narcotics Branch of the Delhi police. One kg of fine quality white heroin, which is worth Rs. 5 crores in the international market, and U.S. currency have been recovered from their possession. The police believe that the heroin was smuggled in via Pakistan.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, D.L. Kashyap, the Narcotics Branch had information about a Nigerian national who had been smuggling heroin in connivance with an Indian drug trafficker from Punjab. The case was handed over to a team under the supervision of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mehar Singh, and an electronic surveillance mounted.

Acting on a tip-off that on May 31, the Indian drug trafficker would deliver a consignment of white heroin to the Nigerian national at Bera Wala Bagh of Hari Nagar in West Delhi, the police laid a trap. Around 1 p.m., the police team spotted the suspects exchanging the stuff after which they arrested them.

They were identified as Ubani Leo Chidozie Mark, who is known as "Frank" in the world of drug trafficking, and Balraj Singh. Along with a packet containing heroin, the police also recovered 300 counterfeit U.S. dollars from Frank and 2,100 genuine U.S. dollars from Balraj, which was part of the payment made to him for the consignment. During interrogation, Balraj disclosed that he had been supplying heroin to Frank for the past several months and received payment in dollars.

Balraj, who was earlier into smuggling opium for the past 10 years, had recently shifted to the heroin trade. He revealed that he used to procure heroin for around Rs. 7 lakhs per kg from a contact operating near the Indo-Pakistan border in Rajasthan. He would deliver the consignments to Balraj at Amritsar. Balraj sold heroin for Rs. 8 lakhs per kg.

Mr. Kashyap said the police have come to know about some persons to whom Frank supplied heroin. He disclosed that he used to sell heroin through a woman who lived with him. A hunt has been launched for the receivers and the woman. Investigations revealed that he stayed in India most of the time and had created a wide network of clients across the country. The police have secured his and Balraj's remand for further interrogation. Meanwhile, they are also trying to find out the country from where the heroin was actually manufactured. In all probability, it seems to have been manufactured in Afghanistan.

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