Crime

Two Nigerian Nationals Arrested with Drugs Worth Rs 1.26 Crore in Valsad, India

Published by Tope Fakinlede on March 22nd, 2025.

Two Nigerian Nationals Arrested with Drugs Worth Rs 1.26 Crore in Valsad, India

On Thursday, officers from the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) apprehended two Nigerian nationals in Vapi, Valsad, with a significant haul of Amphetamine and Methamphetamine drugs valued at Rs 1.26 crore.

The arrest followed a tip-off received by SMC officials, prompting them to monitor the area near the railway overbridge in Kareambela village, located on National Highway-48. They flagged down a car exhibiting suspicious behavior and discovered two Nigerian nationals inside. Upon inspecting their bags, authorities found a suspicious chemical substance. Forensic experts, who examined the material on-site, confirmed it was illegal drugs. A subsequent weigh-in revealed that the contraband weighed 252.14 grams, with a market value of Rs 1.26 crore.

The police also seized the suspects’ mobile phones and cash amounting to Rs 5,200. The arrested individuals, identified as 40-year-old Kelichiku Aze Francis and 28-year-old Akimwani Taiwo David, are both residents of Nalasopara, Palghar district, Maharashtra, but are originally from Lagos, Nigeria. They were taken into custody under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Francis had previously been arrested in 2022 for a narcotics-related offense in Mumbra, Mumbai, and had been released on bail earlier this year, in January 2025. While Francis has been in India since 2014, David arrived in the country in 2019. Authorities are currently verifying the details of their visas through their passports and are working to trace the individual who was supposed to receive the drugs.

In a related incident, on February 17, SMC officials arrested another Nigerian national, Mgbudom Margret Ene (37), with 149.510 grams of cocaine worth Rs 1.49 crore along National Highway-48, between Navsari and Surat. Ene, a resident of Mumbai’s Kashimira area, was also detained in connection with narcotics trafficking.