Indian court sentences Nigerian national Christian Arinze to 20 years in prison for trafficking heroin into the country through Ahmedabad Airport

A court in Ahmedabad, India, has sentenced a Nigerian national, Christian Arinze, to 20 years’ imprisonment after finding him guilty of trafficking illicit drugs into the country.

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Arinze was convicted alongside his Zambian accomplice, Hanchabila John, following a trial before a Special Court handling narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances cases in Ahmedabad.

According to the Narcotics Control Bureau, John was arrested on September 3, 2021, after arriving at Ahmedabad Airport on a flight from Dubai with about 2.75 kilograms of heroin.

Operatives of the Narcotics Control Bureau reportedly intercepted the suspect during a search at the airport, where the illegal drugs were discovered.

Following investigations and court proceedings, the Additional District and Sessions Court in Ahmedabad sentenced both Arinze and John to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 200,000 each.

In a statement shared on X, the Narcotics Control Bureau confirmed the judgment.

“The Additional District and Sessions Court, Ahmedabad, has sentenced Hanchabila John, a Zambian national, and Christian Arinze, a Nigerian national, to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 2 lakh each,” the agency stated.

The bureau added that the case stemmed from the seizure of 2.757 kilograms of heroin at Ahmedabad Airport in September 2021, which led to the arrest and prosecution of the two convicts.

Authorities also encouraged members of the public to report narcotics-related activities through the MANAS helpline, assuring that the identities of informants would remain confidential.

Arinze’s conviction comes less than 72 hours after 93 Nigerians were arrested in Ghana over alleged involvement in fraud and human trafficking.

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Earlier, about 43 Nigerians were also detained in Mozambique, a development the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission described as potentially xenophobic, noting that the individuals had not been formally charged with any crimes.