Indian authorities have arrested a Nigerian woman and a taxi driver after they were allegedly found with 3.6 kilogrammes of heroin during a sting operation in Tarn Taran, along the Amritsar–Bathinda highway.
The suspects, identified as Bela and Dalip Kumar, were reportedly intercepted near the Goindwal bypass during an intelligence-led operation conducted by the CIA Staff, Tarn Taran.
According to reports by Times of India, the operation was carried out following a tip-off and supervised by senior police officials.
The Senior Superintendent of Police, Tarn Taran, Surender Lamba, said the suspects were arrested after officers stopped a grey taxi and conducted a search of the vehicle.
Lamba disclosed that the woman, described as a native of Delta State, Nigeria, but residing in Delhi, was allegedly caught with the drugs alongside the taxi driver from Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
He said officers recovered 3.6kg of heroin, a mobile phone, the taxi used for transportation, and about Rs 1,500 suspected to be proceeds of drug dealings.
The police chief alleged that the driver was aiding the suspect in trafficking the substance for financial gain.
Preliminary investigation, according to him, suggested that Bela was part of an international drug trafficking network with alleged links to Pakistani smugglers.
Authorities further claimed the network was responsible for moving heroin consignments across the India–Pakistan border for distribution in Punjab, Delhi and other parts of India.
A case has been filed against the suspects under Section 21-C of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the City Tarn Taran Police Station.
The arrest adds to a growing list of drug-related cases involving foreign nationals, particularly Nigerians, in India in recent months.
In similar incidents, other Nigerians have been arrested across different Indian cities over alleged trafficking of cocaine, MDMA and other illicit substances, according to local media reports.
Police said investigation into the latest case is ongoing.
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