With the arrest of four Nigerian nationals on Saturday morning, the 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, Mohali. The four have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

During interrogation, the accused said they had come to India on student visas over two years ago. The four also reportedly confessed to their involvement in the drug trade ever since their arrival in India but did not divulge the sources and channels used to procure the drugs.

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.

The police, meanwhile, are trying to retrieve the call details of the eight mobile phones recovered from the accused. “This will help us pinpoint the foreigners’ contacts,” said a police officer.