Hyderabad: The West Zone Task Force has arrested a 25-year-old Nigerian and his girlfriend. The police also conducted raids at several places on Thursday where Nigerians are staying to check their visas and other documents.
The arrested accused, Gabriel Aja, 25, belongs to Port Harcourt in Nigeria. Rachakonda police arrested Gabriel and his girlfriend and one more person at the Greenhood Apartments in Yapral on Thursday. The Nigerians, who were arrested in a drug smuggling case had revealed that Gabriel was supplying drugs to them.
Gabriel, a key figure in the Nigerian drug racket that operates from its base in Goa, was picked up from Kowkoor near Yapral on Wednesday. Police recovered cocaine, heroine and a laptop from him.
According to the police, his girlfriend was also taken into custody. “Gabriel came to Hyderabad on a business visa and has been overstaying since two years. He rented a place in Kowkur and has been operating from Goa. He was earlier arrested in connection with drug peddling and had come out on bail,” said the police.
According to sources, there are around 6,000 Nigerians in Hyderabad police commissionerate and another 4,000 in Cyberabad and Rachakonda commissionerate.
The raids were conducted by a West Zone Task Force team in Banjara Hills, Langer Houz, Asifnagar, Rajendra-nagar and Humayun-nagar police station areas on Thursday.
“We checked 101 Nigerians, Yemenis and South Africans. 34 were detained for staying after visa expiration,” said SI L. Bhaskar Reddy of West Zone Task Force.
