Nigerian woman arrested in India with cocaine worth N40.9m

Monday, August 31, 2026 - A Nigerian woman has been arrested in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India, with 57.18 grammes of cocaine valued at more than Rs29 lakh (approximately N40.9m).

According to a report by News18 Hindi on Monday, the woman, identified as Emmanuel Joy, a Lagos resident, was arrested by Chandan Nagar police after she was allegedly found with the drug near IT Park, Sinhasa.

She was reportedly travelling from Mumbai to Indore to supply cocaine.

The report said the arrest occurred during heightened police checks ahead of Rakshabandhan and Janmashtami celebrations, when officers patrolling the IT Park Sinhasa area noticed Joy carrying a black bag.

“A foreign woman carrying a black bag appeared suspicious,” the report quoted the police as saying.

Police reportedly stopped and questioned her, but “her answers were unsatisfactory,” prompting a search in the presence of female police officers.

The search allegedly led to the recovery of 57.18 grammes of cocaine concealed in a transparent bag.

The seized substance was valued at “over 29 lakh rupees,” according to the report.

News18 Hindi reported that “Joy arrived in India from Nigeria on August 14 on a seven-month business visa and was living in Bandra East, Mumbai, where she worked at a hair salon with her sister.”

During interrogation, Joy allegedly told police that she purchased cocaine at a low price and intended to sell it at a higher price in Indore.

However, investigators are independently verifying her account.

A case has been registered against her under Sections 8 and 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Police have also examined her passport, visa and immigration records.

Following her arrest, Joy was produced before a court and remanded in custody as investigations continued.

Police have expanded the investigation to examine her mobile phone and other digital data in an effort to identify other people linked to the alleged drug network.

According to the report, investigators are trying to establish “who purchased the cocaine, who in Indore it was intended to supply, and who else is involved in this network.”

The investigation is expected to determine the extent of the alleged supply chain between Mumbai and Indore and whether other suspects were involved.