Nigerian national declared proclaimed offender in Chandigarh NDPS case arrested by Delhi Police

New Delhi, Aug 7 (AHN) As part of the ongoing drive against overstaying foreigners under Operation VISTA 1.0, the Anti-Narcotics Cell of Dwarka District Police has apprehended a Nigerian national who was residing illegally in India and had been declared a proclaimed offender in a narcotics case registered in Chandigarh.

According to police, the accused had been declared a proclaimed offender by a court in 2021 in connection with an NDPS case. He had earlier been arrested in a cocaine supply case registered at Police Station Sector-31, Chandigarh. Investigators also found that he had allegedly changed his identity and was using forged coloured photocopies of travel documents in an attempt to mislead law enforcement agencies.

Police said the arrest was made during a special verification drive launched by the Delhi Police Commissioner under Operation VISTA 1.0 to identify and verify overstaying foreigners. Acting on the directions of Dwarka District DCP Kushal Pal Singh and under the supervision of ACP Operations Subhash Malik, the Anti-Narcotics Cell was tasked with tracing overstaying foreign nationals and checking the status of foreigners involved in criminal cases.

On August 1, a team led by Inspector Kamlesh Kumar, comprising Sub Inspector Prem Narayan, SI Naveen, Head Constable Dheeraj, Constable Rahul and Constable Mukesh, was constituted to carry out the operation.

Based on technical surveillance and human intelligence inputs, the team apprehended a foreign national from the Uttam Nagar area. During verification, the individual produced coloured photocopies of Passport No. A00331436 and Visa No. VK5906183. The documents identified him as Daniel Marton, son of Marton, a resident of Lagos, Nigeria, aged 45 years, with a visa valid until June 3, 2027.

During questioning, the foreign national disclosed that he had previously been arrested in an NDPS case in Chandigarh and that the trial was still pending. The information was immediately shared with Chandigarh Police, including its Proclaimed Offenders Cell.

Subsequent verification of dossier records revealed that the man’s actual identity was Michael Wilfred M. Bonu, son of M. Bonu. Police found that he had been declared a proclaimed offender by a competent court in FIR No. 87/2019 under Sections 8/21 of the NDPS Act, registered at Police Station Sector-31, Chandigarh, through an order dated August 23, 2021.

His identity was confirmed through dossier photographs provided by Chandigarh Police. Following the confirmation, a team from the Proclaimed Offenders Cell of Chandigarh Police arrived in Delhi and formally took custody of the accused. He was handed over to SI Dalbir of Chandigarh Police for production before the concerned court and further legal proceedings.

Police said no recovery was made from the accused during the operation. However, officials highlighted that close coordination between Delhi and Chandigarh Police played a crucial role in establishing the foreign national’s true identity and securing his arrest.