Nigerian nationals courting arrest for petty crimes to avoid deportation

As such offences are bailable, they are free to indulge in drug peddling while the trial drags on for years, say officers of the Anti Narcotics Cell

Nigerian nationals have started deliberately committing petty offences and courting arrest in the city so that their deportation is put on hold till the trial is over, according to officers of the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch.

ANC officers, who deal with cases of drug peddling in the city, said the methods employed by Nigerian nationals to avoid deportation have evolved over the years. Around 15 years ago, the officers said, the favourite method of Nigerians was to destroy their passports as soon as they landed in India.

In the absence of documentation certifying their nationality, deporting them would become next to impossible. The ANC officers said the Nigerian nationals would start drug peddling as soon as they were released from prison.

Shivdeep Lande, Deputy Commissioner of Police (ANC), said, “We have observed their methods change over the years. A new trend recorded by our officers is that they get involved in petty crimes like cell phone theft or assault soon after arriving in the country. The punishment for such offences is not too serious and the trial takes years to conclude. As most of these offences are bailable, they are free to indulge in drug peddling while the trial drags on.”

‘Aware of the law’

The ANC officers said no less than 10,000 to 12,000 Nigerians have settled in areas like Mira Road and Nallasopara, and in the past three to four years they have started moving into Navi Mumbai. Nigerians living in the country for years are aware that the law forbids deportation of foreign nationals with cases pending against them. The officers said that this knowledge is now being passed on to the newcomers.

In 2017, a Nigerian accused, who was on the verge of being deported, fled from police custody. Though he was arrested within a month, his deportation was put on hold, as per law, as he was charged with escaping from lawful custody under the Indian Penal Code.

An ANC officer said, “We are noticing that after Nigerian nationals arrive in India, they never stay in the city they first enter in for long. For example, if a Nigerian lands in Bengaluru on a tourist visa, he immediately moves to Mumbai and stays there long after his visa has expired. The Bengaluru police cannot deport him till they catch him, and the Mumbai police would not know about his existence till they arrest him some offence. We have found out that Nigerians now have a strong network in several cities. They seek refuge in these cities every time an intensive crackdown is launched against them.”

Another ANC officer said in recent cases, Nigerians accused of drug peddling have been found with forged passports. While the passports will not clear an official check, they serve as an identity proof and enabling them to get houses on rent.

Earlier this year, the ANC arrested a Nigerian national in a drug possession case. A search of his house revealed a passport in the name of John Kennedy, which was found to be bogus after being tested at the Forensic Sciences Laboratory in Kalina. The ANC is still trying to determine his true identity.