Hyderabad: Easy bail for foreigner drug pedlers

Hyderabad: Lack of permanent address allows convicted foreign drug peddlers to get away with their acts and make arrests difficult.

Nigerian national Uzor Promise Chukuwudi, 32, came to India in August 2012 on a business visa and started living in Hyderabad, exporting cloth from local markets like Tirupur to his country. He was arrested by the Banjara Hills police in July 2013 as he was overstaying after expiry of his visa period.

After his release, he got his visa extended and started selling drugs. He would travel to Mumbai and Goa to pick up cocaine and then sell it to clients in Hyderabad.

In February 2015, Uzor and his friend were arre-sted by the CCS police while selling drugs. He was booked under the NDPS Act and put behind the bars. He came out on bail after three months and never attended court proceedings or responded to investigation officials’ calls. Uzor vacated his fl-at in Toli Chowki and disappeared from Hyderabad.

After a year, when police arrested him along with six other Nigerian nationals, Uzor was still selling drugs in the city.

Three more people, who were arrested by city police last Wednesday wi-th drugs, had done the same. They get arrested selling drugs, spend three months in prison, get out and sell drugs again.

A number of foreign drug peddlers, especially Nigerian nationals, have been pulling off this stunt for the last six years here. They jump bail by changing their temporary residence address, which is mentioned in the chargesheet and First Information Report.

When things get tough in Hyderabad, they retreat to safe havens in Goa, Mumbai or any other city. According to officials, over 55 foreign drug peddlers arrested by the city police in the last six years are repeat offenders.

“This is the toughest part. Since they (foreign dr-ug peddlers) do not have a permanent address in the country, it is easy for them to disappear from the city. Many of them disappear and never attend court. Tracing them becomes difficult,” said a task force official.

More peddlers who jumped bail are still at large. The anti-narcotic cell of Hyderabad police under the Central Crime Station does not have enough staff to send a search team or execute the NBWs.