International drug racket busted, 3 foreigners held

The UT police have unearthed an international narcotics racket with the arrest of three foreign nationals. They have also arrested two local drug suppliers in another case.

The Crime Branch staff seized 50.88 grams of heroin, 67 grams of amphetamine drug, 70 grams of cocaine, a BMW and a Honda Accord from the accused. The police have registered separate FIRs in both cases.

The crackdown began on July 22 when ASI Nasib Singh and his team nabbed Imoru Damian, a Nigerian national residing in Khuni Majra, Kharar, near the Sector 43 check post with 62.60 grams of amphetamine drug. His questioning revealed links to a larger network. The police later arrested Okoye Nnamdi, another Nigerian national, from New Delhi, and seized 35.80 grams of cocaine, 5.73 grams of amphetamine and a Honda Accord from him. Toufe Yosuof, a South African national residing in Kharar, was also arrested with 34.85 grams of cocaine.

The police said all three accused were ‘overstaying their visas’. The Nigerian nationals arrived in India in 2021 on medical visas, while Toufe Yosuof of Cape Town, South Africa, came on business visa in 2023. All three were allegedly operating on instructions from their handlers abroad using encrypted communication platforms like WhatsApp. In the other case, the police arrested a notorious repeat offender, Shiva Thakur (31), and his long-time associate Jaisal Bains (29), with 50.88 grams of heroin in hidden in a BMW near the Sector 45 check post. When they were stopped by a patrol team, they refused to open the car. The police broke a windowpane and recover the contraband from the car.

Shiva, previously convicted in three NDPS cases, had served sentences of 10 and 15 years. Jaisal, a BA (Hons) English graduate, had known to Shiva since Class XI.

The police suspect Jaisal was laundering drug money and aiding in distribution. Investigations are underway to trace their broader supply chain and financial transactions.