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Bengaluru: A special court has convicted a 44-year-old Nigerian national of drug peddling and sentenced him to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 1.6 lakh. Kingsley Samuel, a resident of Hennur, was arrested by Banaswadi police in Oct 2022 after they seized 140 grams of MDMA from him.
He has since been in judicial custody at Bengaluru Central Prison. Delivering the judgment, the special judge for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases, Vijaya Devaraj Urs, observed: "You were found in illegal possession of 140 grams of methamphetamine without any licence or permission to sell it to the public, thereby committing an offence punishable under the NDPS Act. Further, as a Nigerian citizen who stayed beyond the expiry of your visa, you also violated visa conditions, thus committing an offence under the Foreigners Act.
" You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Kingsley also has to undergo an additional year of simple imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine. Public prosecutor KV Ashwath Narayana highlighted that meticulous investigation by Banaswadi police played a crucial role in securing the conviction. This marks the fourth conviction in NDPS cases handled by Narayana, who emphasised that methodical investigation and adherence to Supreme Court guidelines are key to obtaining convictions in drug-related cases.
"Police must carefully document the receipt of information, conduct raids, and record the seizure of contraband in the station diary. Following this, an FIR under the NDPS Act should be registered and senior officers must be informed. Simultaneously, police should approach the jurisdictional court to produce the seized drugs for further legal action.
Moreover, investigating officers must establish that the drugs were seized directly from the accused. When all these steps are diligently followed, the chances of securing convictions increase significantly," he explained..
