Nigerian drug peddler arrested in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Aug 17 (IANS) Telangana State Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TSNAB) has arrested a Nigerian drug peddler and seized ecstasy pills.

TSNAB along with Film Nagar Police, Hyderabad City apprehended Nigerian national, Ogbaugu David Uka alias Pastor Davison alias Iwu, who was found in possession of psychotropic drug.

 A total of 264 ecstasy pills worth Rs 10.56 lakhs were recovered from him. Two cell phones were also seized from him.

TSNAB director and Hyderabad Police Commissioner C. V. Anand said that the accused residing in Bangalore was kingpin in drug supply in that city. He also has contacts with drug peddlers in Hyderabad and frequently travels to the city. Seven drug peddlers, arrested recently in two different crimes registered at Kachiguda Police Station and KPHB PS, were getting psychotropic drugs from the Nigerian and they were selling to the consumers in Hyderabad city.

The accused was posing to the general public as pastor and was serving as welfare chairman of the All India Nigerian Students and Community Association.The main functions of association are to arrange bails and other legal assistance to the arrested drug offenders of Nigeria. 

The 58-year-old was using fabricated identity cards with fake names to conceal his identity. He was also using a fake visa. The accused took SIM cards on the name of others and was using them for his criminal activities.

On credible information on August 16 when he came to Hyderabad city to supply ecstasy pills to his known peddlers, the sleuths of TSNAB along with Film Nagar Police apprehended him and seized 264 pills from his possession.

In another case, TSNAB along with Langar House Police arrested six ganja peddlers/transporters. A total of 44 kg ganja, four card, eight mobile phones and sale proceeds of Rs 12 lakh -- all worth Rs 1 crore -- was seized.

The arrested are Vankudoth Veeranna alias Veeru, Ajmeera Veeranna alias Lalu, Surneni Manoj alias Mani, Merugu Madhu, Prashanth Naik Tejavath and Mohd Jahangir -- all residents of Mahabubabad district of Telangana.

Veeranna was procuring ganja from agency areas of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and also from Odisha.

He used to conceal the ganja in modified compartments in the vehicles so that they may not be detected during the checking of the vehicles by police and RTA staff. He used to escort the ganja transporting vehicle by posing as police and also got one police siren fitted in his vehicle which he was using to escape from checking at the toll gates and check posts.