Nigerian who acted in Bollywood films held with Rs 30 lakh MDMA in Delhi

NEW DELHI: A Nigerian national who had worked in several Bollywood films alongside well-known actors was arrested along with an accomplice for drug trafficking in Delhi, police said on Monday.

The duo was caught with 354 grams of MDMA, comprising 769 tablets and valued at around Rs 30 lakh, they said.

The accused have been identified as Patrik (47), a native of Abia state in Nigeria, and Shashikant Ravindra Prabhu (42) from Maharashtra.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Surendra Choudhary said in a statement, "The arrests were made by a special team of the southwest district police near Mahipalpur."

He said a scooter allegedly used for drug delivery was also seized from their possession.

According to the statement, Patrik had arrived in India in 2008 on a business visa and stayed illegally after its expiry. He found work in the film industry, featuring in various Bollywood projects, but later fell into drug abuse and eventually into trafficking.

In 2019, Patrik was arrested for possession of heroin and spent three years in jail, during which he reportedly forged ties with other drug peddlers. After his release, Patrik shifted to supplying MDMA tablets across Delhi and NCR, the statement said.

To expand operations, he roped in Prabhu who acted as the carrier. Before joining Patrik, Prabhu was already under the scanner for his involvement in drug cases, including a significant charas seizure by the Narcotics Control Bureau in Mumbai.

"Both were intercepted based on a tip-off on April 26. The contraband was recovered following a cursory search," said the DCP, adding that further investigation is underway.