Woman, Nigerian associate arrested with 10.5kg of drugs at Delhi railway station

The police said that the consignment was meant to be distributed at new year rave parties in Bengaluru, Karnataka

A 25-year-old woman from Tamil Nadu and her 40-year-old Nigerian associate were arrested on Tuesday from New Delhi railway station with 10.5 kilograms of narcotic drug amphetamine, popularly known as “Ice” or “Speed”, the police said.

Representational photo.

They added that the consignment was meant to be distributed at new year rave parties in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

The two were caught around 8.45pm while boarding the Bengaluru Rajdhani express train from the New Delhi railway station. The two were booked in a case registered under sections 22 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act at the New Delhi railway police station. The estimated value of the seized psychotropic substance is nearly Rs10 crore, said deputy commissioner of police (railway unit) Harendra Kumar Singh.

“This is one of the biggest recoveries of amphetamine in the city. The contraband was meant to be supplied in Bengaluru for rave parties on the eve of the coming new year,” said DCP Singh.

Finding them suspicious, the team enquired about their plan and the luggage they were carrying. The duo could not give a satisfactory reply, the police said. Both of them had separate travel tickets, although their seats were in the same compartment, said Singh.

“Their bags were checked and small polythene bags containing white crystal material were found. The material was checked with a narcotics testing kit and it turned out to be amphetamine, a psychotropic substance. The contraband was seized and weighed at 10.5kg. The duo was arrested. They were identified as Srimathi and her Nigerian associate Chima Vitalis,” the DCP added.

During the interrogation, the police said, Vitalis said that he had first come to India eight years ago on a business visa and stayed in different cities while being involved in a garment export business. Around four years ago,he met the woman who was working in an export house in Bengaluru. Vitalis included her in the narcotic drugs supply business, said DCP Singh.

“The woman travelled with the Nigerian man to provide him with cover. The two confessed to have supplied one kilogram of the contraband in Bengaluru before Diwali. The two frequented Delhi and Bengaluru. We are now looking for the members of the network through which the duo had obtained the contraband,” he added.