BENGALURU: Taking a cue from the Goa government, the state government is planning to withdraw cases against Nigerians residing in Karnataka and deport them to their country, Home Minister G Parameshwara said here on Thursday.
Replying to BJP MLC V Somanna, Parameshwara said that since 2015, 23 cases have been registered against Nigerians for selling ganja and other banned substances and 31 have been arrested. “This is an international network and is dangerous,’’ he said. Somanna had said that there are 850 Nigerians in the state.
Citing Goa as an example, Parameshwara said that the state had withdrawn cases against foreign nationals who were involved in the sale of drugs. This is because when police cases are registered against foreign nationals involved in unlawful activities, their stay is extended. In fact, they continue to stay in India even after their visa expires, he added.
“I shall get the details from Goa. If needed, this can be implemented here too,” he said.
Parameshwara said they have identified 48 police station limits where drug peddling is rampant, including HSR Layout, Kothanur, Pulikeshi Nagar, Mico Layout, Peenya, JJ Nagar, Jayanagar and Kodigehalli. He added that the drug mafia was present even during his college days but now there is an international network involved.
Talking about a recent incident where a Nigerian man died in a road accident in the city, the minister said he had died while escaping from the police. He was a drug peddler, he said. “Nobody is coming forward to identify him. There are no documents either. They come here in the name of education and get admitted to colleges. Colleges too don’t verify their documents. We have now directed colleges to furnish details of students along with their visa date to their respective police stations,” he said.
When Somanna pointed out that there is no punishment for people who sell less than one kilo of ganja, the minister said that they will amend this and make possession of even 100gm of ganja illegal.