A special court in Coimbatore, India, has sentenced Nigerian national Samson Chukwunonso to 10 years’ imprisonment for drug trafficking.
The Legal Observer obtained this information from a report by the Times of India on Tuesday. The case dates back to July 2012, when operatives of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Chennai unit, intercepted three parcels at a courier office, uncovering 1.195 kg of heroin and 200 grams of methaqualone, valued at over ₹2 crore (approximately $240,000) in the international market.
Further investigations led authorities to trace the consignment to 40-year-old Samson, who was allegedly residing illegally in Erode. A subsequent raid on his residence resulted in the recovery of four kilograms of ganja, leading to his arrest by the NCB in September 2012.
“Upon questioning, it was revealed that Samson had arranged to send narcotic drugs abroad through courier services and was involved in international drug trafficking. NCB officers arrested him in September 2012,” the report stated.
According to The Times of India, on Saturday, September 20, Samson was arraigned before the Special Judge for the Essential Commodities Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Justice Rajalingam. He was found guilty of orchestrating narcotics shipments abroad through courier services as part of an international trafficking network and subsequently sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of ₹1 lakh.
“Justice Rajalingam, presiding over the Special Court for the Essential Commodities Act and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, found Samson guilty and imposed a 10-year sentence, plus a fine of ₹1 lakh,” the report detailed.
This sentencing occurs amidst rising concerns regarding the involvement of Nigerian nationals in drug-related crimes across Asia. In August, police in Kozhikode City, India, arrested eight Nigerians for alleged drug trafficking, believed to be integral to a larger drug syndicate operating throughout India.
In another instance, a special court in the Bengaluru District sentenced a Nigerian, Kingsley Samuel, to 14 years imprisonment for drug trafficking, underscoring the growing apprehension about the increasing participation of Nigerian citizens in India’s drug trade.
The persistent arrests and convictions of Nigerians abroad have sparked discussions about the impact on Nigeria’s international image.
