Indian police arrests Nigerian for dry ganja smuggling

Charles Chuks, who was arrested by the CTF, in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Charles Chuks, 40, who came to India about 18 months ago on a business visa, was living in Hyderabad. He is the second Nigerian to be arrested for ganja smuggling within the space of a year.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (CTF) I. Chittibabu said that based on credible information about the illegal transportation of ganja they conducted a raid near the Government Eye Hospital and nabbed Chuks, when he was trying to smuggle 24 kg of dry ganja worth Rs. 96,000.

Procured from Agency

Investigation revealed that Chuks had visited Visakhapatnam and some other parts in Vizag Agency five times in the past few months and he had smuggled ganja to Hyderabad, Nagpur, Delhi and Chennai.

Chuks visited some remote areas in the Agency and established contacts with local ganja smugglers to procure the contraband from them, said Mr. Chittibabu. The seized hemp also was procured from the Agency area.

“We are yet to ascertain the profession of the foreigner in India and we failed to unlock the mobile phone of the foreigner. Though we have seized the passport of the Nigerian, we are yet to ascertain whether it is genuine or fake,” Mr. Chittibabu added.

The Nigerian has been handed over to Inspector of Dwaraka police station for further investigation. About one year back, a Nigerian by name Ikechukwu Augustine, 23, was arrested by the CTF team and about 50 kg of dry ganja was recovered from him. Augustine also had come to India on a tourist visa and established contacts with the local ganja traders with the help of few persons in Visakhapatnam.