Nigerian National Arrested in India for Drug Trafficking

A Nigerian citizen, Jacob Nnabuike Ugwu, has been arrested in India in connection with the trafficking of the synthetic drug Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). The Indore Crime Branch in Madhya Pradesh confirmed the arrest in a statement released on Monday, May 5, 2025.

Ugwu, 37, was apprehended in Krishna Puri, Delhi, where he had reportedly been residing for the past two to three years under the pretense of operating a refreshment shop. His arrest followed the earlier detention of two Indian nationals, Hariom Jha and Lakshya Singh Rajput, both 26, from whom approximately 36 grams of MDMA, a Tata Altroz car, and several mobile phones were seized near the MR10 Bridge in Indore.

According to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotiya, information obtained from Jha and Rajput during police remand led investigators to Ugwu, who is believed to be a key figure in the nationwide supply of MD drugs through a network of associates. Ugwu, originally from Enugu City, Nigeria, allegedly confessed to supplying MDMA over the past year via other members of his gang while maintaining the front of a small business.

All three individuals have been booked under Sections 8 and 22 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Ugwu is currently under police remand as authorities pursue further leads on his operations and identify additional suspects. The Indore Crime Branch is working in coordination with Delhi Police and central agencies to investigate the broader network, including the origins of the narcotics and associated financial transactions.