In a significant crackdown on international drug trafficking, a special court under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Ahmedabad, India, has sentenced a Nigerian and a Zambian national to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. Each convict was also fined Rs 2 lakh (around ₦3.8 million), the Times of India reports.
The sentenced individuals are 37-year-old Nigerian Nwaobu Christian Arinze and Zambian national Hanchabila John. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Ahmedabad zonal unit revealed that the case against them began on September 3, 2021, when John was arrested upon arriving at Ahmedabad airport from Dubai. A search of his luggage uncovered 2.75 kg of heroin carefully concealed.
During the investigation, John identified Arinze as the intended recipient of the heroin. Acting on this lead, the NCB conducted a sting operation that culminated in Arinze’s arrest in Ahmedabad.
A formal complaint against both men was filed on February 28, 2022, under provisions of the NDPS Act. Following nearly four years of trial, the court deemed the prosecution’s evidence irrefutable and handed down maximum sentences, citing the gravity of the crime.
Both convicts are now expected to serve their sentences in a central prison facility in India, marking a stern warning to international drug traffickers operating in the region.
