A Nigerian man, Kingsley Samuel, has been sentenced to 14 years in a Bengaluru prison for drug trafficking and visa overstay, highlighting India’s tough stance on narcotics offences

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] special court in Bengaluru has sentenced a Nigerian national, Kingsley Samuel, to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for drug trafficking, after he was caught with 140 grams of methamphetamine (MDMA) in October 2022.

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The ruling was delivered by Judge Vijaya Devaraj Urs of the Special Court for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases.

Samuel, 44, who resided in the Hennur area of Bengaluru, was arrested by Banaswadi police following the seizure of the illicit substance.

He was found guilty of possessing drugs without authorisation and overstaying his visa, thus violating the Foreigners Act in addition to the NDPS Act.

You were found in illegal possession of 140 grams of methamphetamine without any licence or permission to sell it to the public, thereby committing an offence punishable under the NDPS Act,” Judge Vijaya Devaraj Urs stated during sentencing.

Alongside the prison sentence, the convict was fined Rs 1.6 lakh and faces an additional one year in simple imprisonment if the fine is not paid.

This development comes as authorities in India continue to tighten enforcement around narcotics offences involving foreign nationals.

In a related case, another Nigerian, Ezeonyili Uchenna (also known as Kaleshi), was arrested by the Talanga Narcotics Bureau with 17 grams of drugs after a tip-off.