New Delhi [India], June 1 (ANI): The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested a Nigerian national in possession of 282 grams of cocaine, intended for distribution. The arrest occurred during a targeted operation in Old Mahabir Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Delhi, based on specific intelligence.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, ANTF (Crime Branch), Apoorva Gupta, said the accused, David Leanne, was caught carrying a bag with a yellow-colored powdery substance. A field test by the Forensic Science Laboratory confirmed it as cocaine, a commercial quantity under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. An FIR has been registered, and investigation is ongoing.
The operation followed surveillance and intelligence efforts led by an ASI who received credible information about a foreign national distributing cocaine in Delhi-NCR. The ANTF team laid a trap in Tilak Nagar and apprehended Leanne.
During interrogation, Leanne admitted to working as a drug carrier for a cartel run by another Nigerian named Leo. He said he entered the narcotics trade about six months ago after meeting Leo through an African community kitchen he had established in Tilak Nagar. Leanne claimed he was to receive Rs. 35,000 for delivering the seized consignment.
Further investigation revealed a fake South African passport and visa in Leanne’s name, procured through a contact in Tilak Nagar. A search of his rented home in Krishna Puri, Tilak Nagar—where he lives with his wife and one-year-old son—was conducted.
Originally from Amube district in Enugu State, Nigeria, Leanne arrived in India in 2015 on a medical visa valid for three months but has since stayed illegally. He initially opened salons, worked as a property agent, and ran a kitchen before turning to drug peddling due to financial difficulties after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Delhi Police Crime Branch is searching for Leo and other associates to dismantle the wider drug network and trace the source of the contraband. Authorities reiterated their commitment to combating narcotics and protecting the community from illegal drug trafficking. (ANI)
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