Police in India have arrested two Nigerian nationals in South Delhi’s Maidan Garhi area on suspicion of involvement in an international drug trafficking network.

According to Delhi Police, the operation was launched after officers received what they described as “specific intelligence” that two foreign nationals would be arriving in the locality to supply narcotics. A team from the local police station mounted surveillance and laid an ambush in the area.

At about 10:30 p.m., officers intercepted two men riding a scooter believed to match the description provided by informants. The pair were stopped and searched on the spot, leading to the discovery of multiple banned substances.

Police said they recovered 102 grams of cocaine, which is treated as a commercial quantity under Indian law, along with 13 grams of MDMA and 85 grams of methaqualone, classified as an intermediate quantity. The seizure places the case under stringent provisions of India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, which carries severe penalties for possession and trafficking of commercial quantities.

The suspects were identified as 26-year-old Chijioke Wisdom, reportedly a resident of Lagos, and 43-year-old Chiqozie, said to be from Owerri in Imo State. Investigators said preliminary checks revealed that both men were living in India without valid visas, adding an immigration violation to the narcotics charges.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, as well as provisions relating to illegal stay in the country. The men are expected to face interrogation by specialized narcotics and immigration units as part of a broader probe.

Police sources indicated that investigators are now focusing on mapping the suspects’ alleged supply chain, including how the drugs entered India, who their local contacts are, and whether the pair are linked to a larger transnational syndicate. Authorities are also examining digital devices and communication records seized during the arrest to identify possible accomplices and financial backers.

Law enforcement officials in Delhi say the case underscores growing concerns about foreign-linked drug networks operating in major Indian cities, and have signaled that more coordinated operations and tighter scrutiny of overstaying foreigners are likely in the coming months.