Nigerian with drug MDMA caught, 108 users identified

Hyderabad: At one hand the State government not leaving any stone unturned to curb the drugs menace in Telangana and on the other hand the Hyderabad Narcotic Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) along with the Narayanguda police nabbed a Nigerian and seized 30 grams of MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) apart from Indian and foreign currency, altogether worth Rs 3 lakh, at King Koti here on Friday.

The arrested person identified as Osigwe Chukwuemeka James @ Alamanjo Nmasichukwu (37), was living illegally in Hyderabad, even after his visa expired. Central Zone DCP M Rajesh Chandra informed that James often went to Goa and procured psychotropic substances including MDMA from local drug dealers at lower rates and smuggled it to Hyderabad to sell it here.

"As of now 108 drug consumers, who have been purchasing drugs from him, have been identified and action will be taken against them. Investigation is continuing to identify other consumers from the city," Rajesh Chandra stated.

Investigation also revealed that James had two Nigerian passports, of which one was fake and using which he arrived in India in 2021 and landed in Hyderabad. During his earlier visits to India, he used his original passport.

"In order to avoid police cases, whenever he was caught, he produced the fake passport with fake identity. In March this year, he was arrested by the Goa police in a drug related case and he produced his fake passport," the DCP said.

He was handed over to the Narayanguda police along with the seized material for further action.