Nigerian drug baron busted in India

A suspected Nigerian drug baron Agbu Chike Anthony, 42, has been arrested in Bengaluru, India for trading in drugs.

Anthony, who was arrested for similar offence last year and is currently on bail and facing trial was arrested again on Thursday in the same trade.

He was arrested for sourcing drugs from associates in Goa by the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch police.

Anthony was arrested in the Electronics City region in Bengaluru’s south-east division and was allegedly found in possession of 250 grams of MDMA crystals valued at Rs 25 lakh (N13.5 million) in the market.

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According to Indian Express, the suspect had been arrested in November 2021 by the K G Halli police in the east division of Bengaluru for possession of 90 grams of MDMA while allegedly selling drugs in east Bengaluru.

It said the Nigerian national is still under trial in the case and was out on bail.

According to the CCB police, Anthony, who arrived in India four years ago on a business visa, has remained in the country. The police said he began dealing drugs in Bengaluru by sourcing MDMA from associates in Goa.

The drugs were being sold to customers in Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per gram, the CCB police said in an official statement.

The newspaper said following his earlier arrest in November 2021, Anthony had been initially denied bail on the grounds that he was found in possession of a commercial quantity of MDMA, adding that he was granted bail at the trial stage.

In the latest case, Anthony has been booked under sections 8 (c) and 22 (c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act for the sale of drugs and for possession of a commercial quantity of psychotropic substances which entails a minimum jail term of 10 years or a maximum of 20 years on conviction.