Nigerian held with heroin

Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 22

The Special Task Force (STF), Mohali, today arrested a 34-year-old Nigerian national, Okeke Solivan, from Delhi and recovered 300 grams of heroin from his possession.

STF sleuths said the accused had been declared a proclaimed offender (PO) in an earlier NDPS case registered at the Kharar City police station in November 2015 when he was arrested with 60-gram heroin.

On January 20, the STF team had arrested another Nigerian national, Uchche Joeke, from Delhi and recovered 100-gram heroin from him.

An STF official said during interrogation, Uchche, revealed that he used to procure narcotics from a supplier based in Delhi. Based on the information, a team arrested Okeke from Uttam Nagar in Delhi today morning.

The accused was produced in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate and sent to one-day police remand.

STF officials said Okeke had fled to Delhi after he was released on bail.

“The accused had come to India on a business visa and later claimed that his passport had been misplaced. He moved to Delhi to supply drugs,” an STF official said, adding that the police were checking phone call records to find out alleged links with suppliers in Delhi.

High drama outside courtroom

Later, high drama was witnessed outside the courtroom when the accused demanded to speak to the Judge. The incident occurred after the court had sent the accused to one-day remand. The Nigerian national was sitting handcuffed outside the courtroom, when suddenly he protested and demanded to speak to the Judge. He said, “I want to speak to the judge.” When STF sleuths did not agree to his demand, the accused questioned, “I have the right. Isn’t this a democratic country? Or you are communists?” He was taken to a room adjacent to “bakshish khana” (judicial lock-up), before being whisked away by the STF in a car.