Mohali police on Sunday arrested a Nigerian national from Kharar with 540g of cocaine valued at around Rs 6 crore in the open market, said Mohali senior superintendent of police (SSP) Harmandeep Singh Hans.
The police also recovered Rs 10,000 in suspected drug proceeds.
The accused, identified as Echzoaa Pundav Ezewna Rio Abrar, hails from Imo State, Nigeria, and was found residing illegally in Golden Estate, Sector 115, Khooni Majra, Kharar. Police said no passport or valid travel documents were recovered from him.
Hans said, "He is a Nigerian national. We have not found any document supporting his stay here in India and neither have we recovered any passport.
He will be interrogated for his stay here in India. As of now, he is communicating only using his native language and says he does not understand English."
The arrest was made during a naka (blockade) by a team from Sadar Police Station, Kharar, under the leadership of SHO SI Amarinder Singh.
Along with the cocaine, police seized Rs 10,000 in cash, eight large and 10 small envelopes used for packaging drugs, a digital knife, a steel chisel, a roll of tape marked "deposit," and several coloured turbans suspected to be used for disguise or concealment.
A case has been registered under Section 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Sadar Police Station, Kharar.
During initial interrogation, the accused revealed that he had sourced the cocaine from the National Capital Region (NCR), Delhi.
The accused's mobile phone has been sent to a forensic lab, as police hope to retrieve valuable data that may reveal links to other drug traffickers. However, officials stated that the accused is not cooperating during interrogation, primarily speaking in his native African language and unable to communicate even in English.
Preliminary investigations also reveal that he had moved into the Kharar flat six months ago.
It is still being verified whether his police verification was conducted at the time of moving in. Police have contacted immigration officials to verify his travel documents, including details about when and on what type of visa he entered India.
He was produced before a local court and remanded to three days in police custody for further interrogation. Police said more arrests and recoveries are likely as the investigation unfolds.
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