Nigerian Woman Arrested in India with N40.9m Cocaine

Emmanuel Joy, a Nigerian woman residing in Lagos, was arrested by Chandan Nagar police in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India, for possession of 57.18 grams of cocaine valued at over Rs29 lakh (approximately N40.9 million). The arrest occurred during increased police checks ahead of Rakshabandhan and Janmashtami celebrations when officers noticed Joy carrying a suspicious black bag near IT Park, Sinhasa.

Upon questioning, her responses were deemed unsatisfactory, leading to a search that uncovered the cocaine concealed in a transparent bag. Joy had 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 interrogation, she claimed to have purchased the cocaine at a low price to sell it at a higher price in Indore. A case has been registered against her under Sections 8 and 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Investigators are examining her digital data to identify others involved in the drug network.