March 12, 2026 – News
An Indian court has sentenced a Nigerian and a Zambian national to 20 years in prison after finding them guilty of trafficking heroin into the country.
The convicts, Nwaobu Christian Arinze, 37, from Nigeria, and Hanchabila John, a citizen of Zambia, were handed the sentence by a special court handling cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Ahmedabad, India.
The court also ordered both men to pay a fine of Rs 200,000 (about ₦3.8 million) each.
According to authorities, the case began on September 3, 2021, when operatives of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested John at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad after he arrived on a flight from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
A search of his luggage reportedly uncovered 2.75 kilograms of heroin concealed among his belongings.
During interrogation, John allegedly identified Arinze as the intended recipient of the illicit drugs. Acting on the information, NCB operatives launched a sting operation that led to Arinze’s arrest within the city.
Authorities later filed a formal charge against the two men on February 28, 2022, under provisions of India’s NDPS Act relating to international drug trafficking.
After nearly four years of trial, the court ruled that the evidence presented by prosecutors clearly established the duo’s involvement in the illegal drug operation.
Delivering the verdict, the presiding judge said the seriousness of the crime warranted a strong deterrent, sentencing both men to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.
The convicts are expected to serve their jail terms in a central prison facility in India.
— SUNTV Global Channel Reporting
