Nigerian caught with heroin in shoe soles

A 23-year-old Nigerian national was arrested with heroin worth Rs 70 lakh on Tuesday, concealed in women’s footwear.

Odeomenan Kenneth Ozioma had hiddden 330 grammes of the contraband in cavities in the soles of six women’s sandals.

“It was to be sent to the US through air courier,” a police officer said on Wednesday. Police arrested Ozioma near Janakpuri East Metro station. Police said Ozioma used to supply heroin abroad through air parcel.

“Drug traffickers have taken to this new method of supplying contraband abroad through air couriers. The parcels have specially built cavities where the drugs are cleverly concealed,” the officer said.

In recent times, the narcotics cell of Delhi Police has confiscated 400 gm MDMA concealed in a golf kit, 1 kg heroin from car pistons, 6 kg ephedrine from piston shafts, 1 kg heroin from bicycle seats and 200 gm cocaine concealed in shoe cavities.

Ozioma, whose visa has expired, came to Delhi in November 2009. He used to export readymade garments and women’s footwear to his country, police said.

After his visa expired, he shifted to Mumbai where he came in contact with another Nigerian national called Ikke, who initiated him into drug trafficking. Police said Ozioma started supplying heroin and recreational drugs in the city to make quick money.

“He used to send the money earned from drug trafficking to his parents in Nigeria, and started living a lavish lifestyle,” the police officer said. Early this month, Ozioma met Ikke in Delhi. He gave Ozioma a parcel containing the footwear in which the heroin was concealed.

Police said Ikke had directed Ozioma to send the parcel to an address in the US through air courier. But the narcotics cell caught him before he could dispatch it. “The narcotics cell is keeping close watch on this new trend of drug traffickers,” the officer said.