An Indian court has sentenced a Nigerian national, Christian Arinze, to 20 years’ imprisonment after finding him guilty of trafficking illegal drugs into the country.
Arinze was convicted alongside a Zambian national, Hanchabila John, by a court sitting in Ahmedabad, according to information released by India’s Narcotics Control Bureau on Wednesday.
The agency disclosed that John was first arrested on September 3, 2021, shortly after he arrived at the Ahmedabad airport from Dubai with a consignment of heroin.
Operatives of the Narcotics Control Bureau reportedly intercepted the suspect during routine checks at the airport and discovered the drugs concealed in his possession.
Investigations later linked Arinze to the drug trafficking operation, leading to his prosecution alongside the Zambian suspect.
Following the trial, the Special Court for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances cases in Ahmedabad found the two men guilty and sentenced them to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs200,000 on each of the convicts.
Confirming the development in a post on its X handle, the Narcotics Control Bureau stated that the conviction was connected to the seizure of about 2.757 kilograms of heroin at the Ahmedabad airport in September 2021.
The agency also urged members of the public to report drug-related activities through its MANAS helpline, assuring that the identities of informants would remain protected.
Arinze’s conviction comes days after authorities in Ghana arrested 93 Nigerians over alleged involvement in fraud and human trafficking.
Similarly, about 43 Nigerians were recently detained in Mozambique under circumstances the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission described as possibly xenophobic, noting that the individuals were not formally charged with any offence.
