Mohali: Nigerian national gets 10 years RI in drugs case

Mohali Special Task Force arrested the Nigerian National for supplying drugs in Mohali after 270-gram heroin was recovered from him

The court of district and sessions judge, Harreet Kaur Kaleka, sentenced Joel Smith, a Nigerian national, to ten years rigorous imprisonment on Thursday for supplying heroin.

The Nigerian man lived in Delhi and was arrested while supplying drugs in Mohali. (Representative image)

A local court also slapped a fine of ₹1 lakh on Smith and in default will have to further undergo one year imprisonment.

Mohali STF AIG Kashmir Singh Gill said that Smith was arrested by Special Task Force (STF) Mohali following a tip-off at a naka near petrol pump in Phase 3A on August 2018. They had recovered 270-gram heroin from him.

Gill added that Smith was residing at Tilak Nagar in New Delhi. “He was on his way to Mohali to supply drugs to his customers here in Mohali and Chandigarh when he was nabbed”, said Gill. During preliminary interrogation, Smith confessed that he came in India on the tourist visa in 2014 and never returned to his country. He has been convicted under Sections 21, 61, 85 of NDPS Act and Section 14 of Foreign Act by the local court.

Smith is the fourth Nigerian this year to be sentenced to 10-years RI for smuggling heroin in Mohali. On September 6, Austin Krairi and on September 9, a Nigerian woman Joye Cheeka Ozuma, were sentenced to 10 tears RI.