Delhi Police arrested two Nigerian nationals who had allegedly been evading court proceedings in separate criminal cases, including one accused who had been declared a proclaimed offender in a commercial quantity heroin case, officials said on Monday.
According to police, the arrests were made during a verification drive launched to trace habitual narcotics offenders released on bail but failing to appear before the courts.
One of the arrested accused, Somadina Hilary Augustin (36), a resident of Anambra State, Nigeria, is an accused in a case registered at Vikaspuri police station under provisions of the NDPS Act, IPC and the Foreigners Act. Police said the case involved the recovery of a commercial quantity of heroin. He had been declared a proclaimed offender by a Delhi court on April 6, after allegedly failing to appear during trial.
The second accused, Stainly Anekwe (36), a resident of Delta State, Nigeria, is wanted in a case registered at Nihal Vihar police station under the Foreigners Act. Police said proceedings under Section 84 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) had already been initiated against him for remaining absent from court.
The two were apprehended from the Uttam Nagar area during a verification drive conducted by a team of the Anti-Narcotics Cell. No recovery was made during the operation.
Police said both accused were produced before the competent court, and the concerned police stations were informed about their arrests.
The Dwarka district police said it has intensified efforts to trace proclaimed offenders, particularly those involved in narcotics-related offences, as part of its drive against organised crime and repeat offenders.
