Delhi Police Uncover International Drug Cartel Targeting Students
Major Drug Bust in New Delhi
New Delhi: The Delhi Police have dismantled an international drug trafficking operation that allegedly targeted students by luring African nationals to India under the guise of education. These individuals were reportedly used to distribute heroin valued at over Rs 1 crore, according to police officials on Friday.
Authorities have apprehended two foreign suspects: Humphrey Muwong, 33, from Uganda, and Chukwu Ebuka Umeh, 36, from Nigeria. They were found in possession of 700 grams of premium heroin, which has been confiscated.
Investigators revealed that the suspects were part of a broader network orchestrated by Dagri Jean Marc, a Nigerian national residing in Africa. Marc is accused of facilitating the entry of African students into India, only to exploit them for drug trafficking.
Having previously lived in India, Marc is believed to have established a robust narcotics distribution system centered in Tilak Nagar, as stated by a senior police officer.
The cartel allegedly misused student visas to mask their illicit operations, bringing African nationals to India under the pretense of enrolling in private universities in the Delhi-NCR region and Punjab.
On April 3, after an extensive 20-hour surveillance operation in Krishna Park Extension, New Mahavir Nagar, the two suspects were arrested, and the heroin was seized, reported Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Crime, Vikram Singh.
During questioning, the suspects disclosed that they were acting under Marc's directives.
Muwong, a mechanical engineer, had previously faced arrest under the NDPS Act in 2023 and was out on bail at the time of this incident. Both Muwong and Umeh have been residing in India since 2019, according to the DCP.
A case has been filed against them under sections 21, 61, and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the Crime Branch Police Station. Investigations are ongoing to identify additional members of the cartel and dismantle its operations.