New Delhi [India], June 1 (ANI): The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a Nigerian national in connection with the possession and intended distribution of 282 grams of cocaine.

The arrest was made during a targeted operation in the Old Mahabir Nagar area of Tilak Nagar, Delhi, following specific intelligence inputs.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, ANTF (Crime Branch), Apoorva Gupta, stated that the accused, identified as David Leanne, was caught carrying a bag containing a yellow-coloured powdery substance. A field test conducted on-site by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team confirmed the substance to be cocaine, classified as a commercial quantity under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

A case has been registered under FIR at the Crime Branch Police Station, and further investigation is underway.

This operation was the result of dedicated surveillance and intelligence-gathering efforts led by ASI who received credible information about a foreign national involved in cocaine distribution across the Delhi-NCR region. The ANTF team swiftly responded and laid a trap in the Tilak Nagar area, where Leanne was apprehended.

During interrogation, Leanne disclosed that he was working as a drug carrier for a cartel operated by another Nigerian national named Leo. He claimed to have entered the narcotics trade approximately six months ago, after being introduced to Leo through an African community kitchen he had set up in Tilak Nagar. According to his statement, he was supposed to receive Rs. 35,000 for delivering the seized consignment.

Further investigation led to the discovery of a passport from the Republic of South Africa in Leanne's name. The passport, along with the associated visa, was found to be fake. Leanne admitted that he had procured the forged documents through a contact in Tilak Nagar. A search was also conducted at his rented residence in Krishna Puri, Tilak Nagar, where he lives with his wife and one-year-old son, DCP Gupta Said.

Leanne, originally from Amube district in Enugu State, Nigeria, arrived in India in 2015 on a medical visa valid for three months. Since then, he remained in India illegally, initially opening a series of salons and later working as a property agent and running a kitchen. Following financial difficulties, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, he allegedly turned to drug peddling.

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has launched a search to trace Leo and other associates involved in the drug syndicate. Efforts are ongoing to dismantle the broader network and identify the source of the contraband. Authorities emphasised their continued commitment to cracking down on narcotics and safeguarding the community from the dangers posed by illegal drug trafficking. (ANI)