Ahmedabad, March 10 – A Special NDPS Court in Ahmedabad on Tuesday sentenced a Zambian and a Nigerian national to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in connection with the recovery of 2.757 kg of heroin in 2021, officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said.
The Special Court punished Hanchabila John (Zambian national) and Nwaobu Christian Arinze (Nigerian national) under Sections 8(c), 21(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985, and imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh each, an NCB official said.
"Acting on specific and credible intelligence that a person named Hanchabila John, a citizen of Zambia, would be arriving at Ahmedabad from Dubai by Fly Dubai Airlines carrying narcotic drugs in his checked-in baggage, officers of NCB's Ahmedabad Zonal Unit mounted surveillance at the airport in 2021," a statement said.
"The passenger was intercepted and during a search in the presence of independent witnesses, 2.757 kg of heroin was recovered from his possession," it added.
"Hanchabila John was found to be in conscious and exclusive possession of the said contraband, which was seized on September 3, 2021," it said.
"During the investigation, Arinze, 37, son of Rinze Laurence, originally from Umueze village in Adazi of Nigeria's Anambra State, and presently residing at D-275A, 2nd Floor, Krishna Park, Deoli Road, Opposite Cambridge School, Khanpur, New Delhi, was identified as the intended receiver of the seized heroin," the NCB said.
He was subsequently arrested by officers of NCB's Ahmedabad Zonal Unit, the statement said.
After the investigation, the NCB filed a charge sheet before the Additional District and Sessions Court in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2022, for offences punishable under Sections 8(c), 21(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985.
A statement issued by the NCB said, "This conviction sends an unequivocal message that drug trafficking will not be tolerated. The meticulous investigation and diligent prosecution by the NCB Ahmedabad Zonal Unit have ensured that justice is delivered, protecting communities from the devastating consequences of narcotic drug abuse."
"The NCB remains steadfast in its resolve to dismantle drug networks and uphold its commitment to the national mission of a Drug-Free India (Nasha Mukt Bharat)," it added.