A 42-year-old Nigerian national, Omorigo Friday, has been arrested by operatives of the Goa Police Crime Branch in India over alleged possession and distribution of cocaine valued at approximately 15.89 lakh in the international market.
Friday was apprehended during a raid carried out in Pilerne, North Goa, on Friday, where officers reportedly recovered 31.794 grams of a substance suspected to be high-grade cocaine.
According to a report by the Press Trust of India, the suspect was intercepted by crime branch operatives who found a white crystalline powder believed to be cocaine in his possession.
The substance, later seized during a follow-up operation, was estimated to have a street value of about 15.89 lakh.
Police sources disclosed that information obtained from Friday during interrogation led to the arrest of an alleged accomplice, identified as 42-year-old Sudhir Paleinkar, a resident of Sangolda in North Goa. Paleinkar was taken into custody on February 8.
Both men are currently being held as investigations continue to determine the origin of the drugs and whether they are connected to a larger trafficking syndicate.
Authorities said the suspects are expected to be charged under relevant sections of India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, which provides stringent penalties for drug-related offences.
