Indian authorities have arrested and deported a Nigerian national over alleged illegal stay and links to drug trafficking, the police said on Tuesday.
The Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) said the suspect, Obasi James Victor, 38, was apprehended in Tolichowki, Hyderabad, following intelligence reports that he was overstaying in the country and associating with drug peddlers.
Police identified Obasi as a Nigerian citizen resident in New Delhi, adding that he was unable to produce valid travel or residency documents when questioned by officers.
According to the police, preliminary investigations showed that Obasi entered India on a tourist visa through Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on December 31, 2011.
Officials said he initially engaged in a cloth export business to Nigeria before later opening a restaurant in Delhi known as William African Restaurant, where he lived with his family.
However, investigators said his passport and visa expired several years ago and that he continued to reside in India illegally.
Police alleged that during this period, Obasi established contacts with drug peddlers and became involved in drug trafficking and other unlawful activities, which they said were aimed at sustaining a lavish lifestyle.
Following his arrest, the police said deportation proceedings were initiated in collaboration with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Hyderabad.
As Obasi’s travel documents had expired, authorities obtained an emergency travel document from the Nigerian High Commission in New Delhi, as well as an exit permit from the FRRO.
Police said his deportation was carried out from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, with a team of H-NEW officers, led by Inspector G.S. Daniel, escorting him to Lagos in the early hours of January 13, 2026.
The police said the action was taken to prevent the suspect from engaging in further unlawful activities that could pose a threat to national security.
H-NEW also warned that some foreign nationals enter India on medical, student or business visas and remain in the country illegally after their documents expire, sometimes becoming involved in the transport, supply and sale of narcotics.