Delhi Police bust drug syndicate, arrest 3 with commercial Amphetamine haul
Synopsis
Delhi Police cracked open a cross-border drug network at Shadipur Flyover, netting three accused — two of them foreign nationals allegedly living in India on expired visas — and seizing a commercial haul of Amphetamine. The bust has triggered an MEA referral and a wider probe into international supply-chain links.
Key Takeaways
Delhi Police arrested three accused in a drug trafficking bust on 25 June 2025 , with the operation announced on 30 June .
A commercial quantity of Amphetamine was recovered, including 54 grams seized from the first suspect near Shadipur Flyover .
Two accused — Prince (22) from South Africa and Efosa Mikel Atohan alias Leon (24) from Nigeria — were allegedly overstaying in India on expired visas.
The third accused, Justin Chukuwa (36) , has reportedly resided in India since birth, with a Nigerian father and an Indian mother.
The case has been referred to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) ; investigators are probing financial records, mobile data, and possible international linkages.
Delhi Police on Tuesday, 30 June dismantled an alleged drug trafficking network operating across the national capital, arresting three accused — including two foreign nationals who were reportedly overstaying in India on expired visas — and recovering a commercial quantity of Amphetamine. The operation, conducted under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, was initiated by a team from Patel Nagar Police Station acting on specific intelligence.
How the Operation Unfolded
On 25 June, police received credible intelligence that a foreign national was actively supplying narcotic substances in the Patel Nagar area of New Delhi. A dedicated raiding team — comprising SI Dharmender, SI Piyush, SI Umesh, Head Constable Mukesh, Constable Ajay, and Constable Sandeep — was assembled under Inspector Naveen Kumar, Station House Officer of Patel Nagar Police Station, and supervised by ACP Sunil Kumar.
The team laid a strategic trap near the Shadipur Flyover, where the first suspect was apprehended. A search of the accused allegedly yielded 54 grams of Amphetamine. Sustained interrogation of this suspect subsequently led to follow-up raids at Nihal Vihar and Nilothi, resulting in the arrest of two more alleged associates.
Who the Accused Are
The first accused, Prince (22), is a native of Cape Town, South Africa, and a resident of Nihal Vihar, Delhi. According to police, he entered India in 2023 on a medical/tourist visa that expired in March 2026 and allegedly continued to reside in the country without valid documentation thereafter.
The second accused, Efosa Mikel Atohan alias Leon (24), is a native of Benin City, Nigeria, and a resident of Uttam Nagar, Delhi. Police said he arrived in India in 2019 on a study visa that expired in 2023, after which he allegedly overstayed without valid papers.
The third accused, Justin Chukuwa (36), is a resident of Nilothi, Delhi. Officials said he has lived in India since birth, with a Nigerian father and an Indian mother.
Alleged Modus Operandi
During interrogation, the accused allegedly disclosed that they operated an ostensible fabric import-export business between India and Nigeria as a cover. Investigators claim the three worked in coordination to procure, store, and distribute Amphetamine to consumers across different parts of Delhi in exchange for monetary gain. Police said the network had organised structures for supply-chain management of the narcotic substance.
Regulatory and Investigative Follow-Up
The matter has been brought to the notice of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), with verification of exact visa expiry dates and related documentation still ongoing, officials said. Investigators are examining the accused's financial transactions, mobile phone records, and digital evidence to trace both the source of the narcotics and the intended recipients. Possible interstate and international linkages are also being probed. Further investigation is underway, officials added.
This bust is part of Delhi Police's intensified campaign against narcotics trafficking in the capital, with the Patel Nagar jurisdiction emerging as a focus zone for enforcement action.
Point of View
With the immigration overstay angle only surfacing post-arrest. The MEA referral is procedurally correct, but the deeper question is whether immigration and narcotics enforcement share real-time intelligence — or whether these linkages are discovered only after the fact. With investigators now tracing international supply chains and financial flows, the case could expose whether Delhi's drug networks are locally contained or nodes in a wider transnational operation.
NationPress
30 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What drugs were seized in the Delhi Police drug bust?
Delhi Police recovered a commercial quantity of Amphetamine during the operation, including 54 grams seized from the first suspect near Shadipur Flyover. Additional recoveries were made during follow-up raids at Nihal Vihar and Nilothi.
Who are the three accused arrested in the Delhi drug case?
The three accused are Prince (22), a South African national residing in Nihal Vihar; Efosa Mikel Atohan alias Leon (24), a Nigerian national residing in Uttam Nagar; and Justin Chukuwa (36), a resident of Nilothi who has reportedly lived in India since birth. Two of the three were allegedly overstaying on expired visas.
Why were two of the accused flagged for immigration violations?
Prince's medical/tourist visa reportedly expired in March 2026, while Efosa Mikel Atohan's study visa expired in 2023 — both allegedly continued to reside in India without valid documentation. The matter has been referred to the Ministry of External Affairs for further action.
What is the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and how does it relate to this case?
Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan is a nationwide anti-narcotics campaign under which Delhi Police have intensified operations against drug trafficking networks. This bust at Patel Nagar is part of that ongoing drive targeting narcotics supply chains in the capital.
What is the current status of the investigation?
Further investigation is underway. Police are examining the accused's financial transactions, mobile phone records, and digital evidence, and are probing possible interstate and international supply-chain linkages to identify both the source of the narcotics and the intended recipients.
