Indian authorities have deported a Nigerian national, Victor Obasi, over allegations of involvement in drug-related activities and for residing in the country without valid immigration documents.
According to a report by The Times of India, Obasi, who had been living in New Delhi, was arrested late last month by operatives of the Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing in the Tolichowki area of Hyderabad after he was observed moving under suspicious circumstances.
Police investigations revealed that his passport and visa had expired several years ago, and he was unable to present any valid travel or residency documents during questioning.
Following his arrest, deportation processes were initiated in collaboration with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Hyderabad and the Nigerian High Commission in New Delhi.
As his original travel documents were no longer valid, the Nigerian mission reportedly issued him an Emergency Travel Document, while Indian authorities granted an exit permit.
Obasi was subsequently flown out of India to Lagos via the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on January 13, 2026.
Further findings showed that the Nigerian entered India through Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on December 31, 2011, on a tourist visa.
He later engaged in several business activities, including textile export and operating a restaurant in Delhi, but remained in the country unlawfully after his visa expired.
During investigations, law enforcement agencies said Obasi had, over time, associated with people suspected to be involved in drug trafficking.
His continued presence in India was therefore considered a potential threat to public safety and national security.
“The action was taken to prevent him from engaging in further unlawful activities that could endanger national security,” police sources told reporters.
The development comes shortly after another drug-related arrest in Hyderabad involving a Nigerian national, Chidi Ezeh (42), who was apprehended with 150 grams of MDMA during a separate intelligence-led operation.
Authorities said Ezeh was also residing illegally in India and was allegedly part of a broader drug distribution network operating across Hyderabad, Bengaluru and other cities.
While police described Obasi as a first-time offender who initially entered India legally before violating immigration laws, his unlawful residency made him liable for immediate deportation following preliminary investigations.
Speaking on the broader crackdown, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing, Vaibhav Gaikwad, said Ezeh would be prosecuted under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, adding that efforts were ongoing to dismantle the wider syndicate.
He noted that such cases showcase the growing challenge of transnational drug trafficking, stressing that intelligence-driven operations remain critical to disrupting organised criminal networks.
