Nigerian sentenced to 14 years in India for drug trafficking
A Nigerian national, Kingsley Samuel, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by a special court in Bengaluru, India, after being convicted of drug trafficking.
According to a report by The Times of India on Monday, Samuel was arrested in October 2022 when authorities seized 140 grams of illicit drugs from him.
He was subsequently charged before Vijaya Devaraj Urs, a special judge handling cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Samuel was found guilty of possessing illegal drugs without the necessary authorization and overstaying his visa in India.
In addition to his prison sentence, the court imposed a fine of Rs 1.6 lakh on the 44-year-old, who resides in Hennur, Bengaluru.
The court statement explained that Samuel’s actions violated both the NDPS Act and the Foreigners Act, as he was found in possession of 140 grams of methamphetamine without a license to sell it.
The judge further stated that Samuel would face an additional year of imprisonment if he fails to pay the imposed fine.
Samuel, who has been in judicial custody at Bengaluru Central Prison since his arrest, was charged with drug peddling after police seized the drugs from him in a bust conducted by Banaswadi police.
Meanwhile, PUNCH Metro reported on Tuesday that another suspected drug trafficker, Ezeonyili Uchenna, also known as Kaleshi, was arrested by the India Talanga Narcotics Bureau.
Authorities reportedly found 17 grams of illicit drugs on Uchenna after he was arrested upon arrival in the city.