A Nigerian woman, Emmanuel Joy, has been arrested in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India, after police allegedly found her in possession of 57.18 grammes of cocaine valued at more than Rs29 lakh, equivalent to about N40.9m.
According to News18 Hindi, Joy, a Lagos resident, was apprehended by Chandan Nagar police near IT Park, Sinhasa, while allegedly travelling from Mumbai to Indore to deliver the narcotics.
Her arrest reportedly followed increased security checks ahead of the Rakshabandhan and Janmashtami celebrations.
Police officers conducting patrols around the IT Park area reportedly became suspicious after spotting Joy carrying a black bag.
“A foreign woman carrying a black bag appeared suspicious,” the police were quoted as saying.
Officers stopped and questioned her, but her responses allegedly raised further suspicion.
“her answers were unsatisfactory,” the report quoted the police as saying.
A search was subsequently conducted in the presence of female police officers, leading to the alleged discovery of 57.18 grammes of cocaine concealed inside a transparent bag.
The seized cocaine was reportedly worth “over 29 lakh rupees,” according to the report.
News18 Hindi reported that “Joy arrived in India from Nigeria on August 14 on a seven-month business visa and was living in Bandra East, Mumbai, where she worked at a hair salon with her sister.”
During questioning, Joy allegedly told investigators that she bought the cocaine at a low price with the intention of reselling it for a profit in Indore.
However, police are said to be independently investigating her account as they seek to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged drug transaction.
Authorities have charged her under Sections 8 and 21 of India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Police have also reportedly reviewed her passport, visa and immigration documents as part of the investigation.
Following her arrest, Joy was taken before a court and remanded in custody while investigations continued.
Investigators have also turned their attention to her mobile phone and other digital records in an attempt to identify additional individuals allegedly connected to the drug operation.
According to the report, investigators are trying to establish “who purchased the cocaine, who in Indore it was intended to supply, and who else is involved in this network.”
The investigation is expected to shed more light on the alleged cocaine supply route between Mumbai and Indore and determine whether other people were involved.
