A 30-year-old Nigerian woman identified as Bella and her taxi driver were arrested by the Punjab Police in India for possession of over 3 kilograms of heroin.

The operation was carried out by a team from the local Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) staff, led by Inspector Rupinderpal Singh, who intercepted the duo at a checkpoint near the Goindwal Sahib bypass on a Friday night. Bella, a resident of Delta State, Nigeria, had been living in the Nangloi area of New Delhi and was reportedly traveling in a grey taxi alongside the driver, Dilip Kumar, when the contraband was discovered.

According to senior police officials, including SP (Investigation) Riputapan Singh, the seized heroin is estimated to be worth over **Rs 15 crore (approximately N2.6 billion) in the international market. Preliminary investigations suggest that the suspects are part of a sophisticated international smuggling network that procures narcotics from Pakistan-based handlers and distributes them across various Indian states, including Punjab and Delhi. The police noted that Bella had originally traveled to India on a study visa but allegedly shifted into the narcotics trade, using her residence in Delhi as a base for coordinating regional supplies.

During the search, the police also confiscated the vehicle, a mobile phone, and a small amount of cash suspected to be drug proceeds. The suspects were formally charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the City Tarn Taran police station.

Authorities are currently conducting further interrogations to trace the broader network of local and international contacts involved in this cross-border smuggling operation.