The Chandigarh ANTF Police team has successfully busted an international drug syndicate, resulting in the arrest of an Indian national and two foreign nationals on drug smuggling charges. The accused foreign nationals were found to be illegally staying in India after their visas had expired, and their involvement in drug smuggling activities was established. Both foreign nationals were discovered to be in contact with others of their kind.
The police have registered a case under the NDPS Act, Section 419 IPC, and the 14 Foreigner Act. Subsequent investigations revealed that the accused, Deepak Thapa, was procuring significant quantities of heroin and cocaine from the foreign nationals. A total of 105.05 grams of cocaine and 19.77 grams of heroin were recovered from his possession. A case against Deepak Thapa was registered under the NDPS Act at Police Station-ANTF, Sector-11, UT Chandigarh.
The international drug syndicate was dismantled under the supervision of DSP Crime Udaypal Singh and SHO Satvinder. The accused will be presented before the District Court and taken into police custody. DSP Crime Udaypal Singh mentioned that the police team, led by SI Suresh Kumar, arrested Deepak Thapa, a resident of GF, Sector-38 West, Chandigarh, and Sector-40 AB Turn, UT, Chandigarh, based on secret information.
Upon searching the accused, 19.77 grams of heroin and 20.20 grams of cocaine were seized from his possession. It was revealed that Deepak Thapa had a previous arrest in murder cases. During his custody, he got in touch with a Nigerian named Namali Ola, who was also in judicial custody for a drug trafficking case. After his release, Namali Ola contacted Deepak, and the two collaborated in the drug smuggling business.
The four-day police remand of Deepak Thapa included intensive interrogation, which disclosed that he had purchased the aforementioned drugs from a Nigerian resident of Delhi. Acting on this information, the ANTF police team raided Delhi and arrested two foreign nationals from Vikas Nagar police station, who were en route to Rahnola, New Delhi, on a Suzuki bike for a drug delivery.
During the search, 84.85 grams of crack balls and cocaine were recovered. Both individuals were presented before the court, and police remand was obtained. One of the accused, Charlie Sagna, a Senegalese national from East Africa, initially provided a false name as Muagba John alias John, son of Naba. He had entered India on a visa in July 2023 and was found to be residing illegally after the expiration of his visa. The second accused, Daniel Ayiti, a resident of Nigeria, initially entered India on his Nigerian passport with a medical visa for a two-month duration. Subsequently, he arranged for a fake visa, and his current visa has also expired. During the investigation, a raid on his residence in Delhi yielded drug packing material and a medicine weighing machine.