A Nigerian woman has been arrested in India after authorities allegedly recovered 3.6 kilogrammes of heroin during an intelligence-led anti-narcotics operation along a major highway in Punjab state.
According to reports from Indian media, the operation was carried out by the CIA Staff in Tarn Taran following a tip-off, leading to the interception of a taxi near the Goindwal bypass on the Amritsar–Bathinda highway.
Police said the suspects include a Nigerian woman identified only as Bela, reportedly from Delta State and said to be residing in Delhi, alongside a taxi driver identified as Dalip Kumar from Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Surender Lamba, stated that officers stopped a grey taxi during the operation and conducted a search of the vehicle, which led to the discovery of 3.6kg of heroin.
Authorities also recovered the taxi used in the operation, a mobile phone, and approximately 1,500 rupees suspected to be proceeds from drug trafficking.
Police further alleged that the taxi driver was assisting the suspect in transporting the drugs in exchange for financial gain.
Preliminary investigations reportedly suggest that the woman may be linked to an international drug trafficking network allegedly connected to smugglers operating across the India–Pakistan border.
The network is suspected of moving heroin consignments into India for distribution across multiple states, including Punjab and Delhi.
The suspect has been charged under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, with investigations ongoing.
Authorities also confirmed that the arrest forms part of a broader pattern of drug-related cases involving foreign nationals, including Nigerians, in India in recent months.
In earlier cases reported in 2026, several Nigerian nationals were arrested in India over alleged involvement in drug trafficking networks involving substances such as cocaine, MDMA, heroin, and cannabis, often concealed in everyday items to evade detection.
Investigations into the latest arrest are continuing as law enforcement agencies seek to dismantle the suspected trafficking network and identify other possible collaborators.
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