With the arrest of four Nigerian nationals on Saturday morning, Mohali district police claimed to have busted a gang of international drug smugglers and recovered 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 1 crore. The arrested, all students of Panjab University in Chandigarh, have been identified as Alexander, Pal, Alex and Oko Fabio.

A police team, led by Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) In-charge Sub-Inspector Gurwinder Singh, nabbed the alleged drug peddlers while they were waiting for customers outside their rented flat in Sector 70. The four have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

During preliminary interrogation, the accused said they had come to India on student visas over two years ago. The four also reportedly confessed that they were involved in the illegal trade of contraband ever since their advent to India but did not divulge the sources and channels used to procure the drugs.

Language problem
Interrogating the foreigners posed a hurdle for the investigation officials with most unable to understand the accent of the Nigerians. “We will use the services of a translator to extract maximum information from the accused,” said a police officer.

8 mobile phones recovered
The police claimed to have laid its hands on eight mobile phones reportedly being used by the four accused. “We are trying to retrieve the call details as well as the names and addresses on the basis of which the sets were procured. This will help us pinpoint the foreigners’ contacts,” added a police officer.

Landlord under scanner
Following the arrests, the police are verifying whether the foreigners’ landlord, Chandigarh resident Bhinder Kaur, had submitted the tenants’ information to the area police station, mandatory according to the District Magistrate’s order. Landlords violating the order are liable for penal action.