From Lagos to Kathmandu: Heroin trail dominates as 26 foreign nationals arrested in Panchkula over five years

4 min readChandigarhJul 18, 2026 07:03 PM IST

In recent years, anti-drug operations have become the principal focus of police action involving foreigners in the district. (File Photo)

Drug trafficking, particularly involving heroin, accounted for the majority of cases involving foreign nationals arrested in Panchkula over the past five years, with police records showing that 18 of the 26 arrests made between 2021 and 2026 were under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Data accessed by The Indian Express shows that foreign nationals from four countries — Nepal, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe, were arrested during the period. Nepal accounted for the highest number of arrests with 17 nationals, followed by seven from Nigeria, while one person each from Kenya and Zimbabwe was also arrested.

Heroin emerged as the drug most frequently seized. Almost all Nigerian nationals were arrested in separate heroin recovery cases under the NDPS Act, while the Kenyan national was also booked in a narcotics case.

The remaining eight arrests were linked to other offences, including two each under cheating and the POCSO Act, and one each under theft, gambling, the Excise Act and a road accident case.

The accused were between 19 and 63 years of age, with an average age of around 35 years. Most were in the 20-40 age group.

The youngest foreign national arrested was 19-year-old Nepalese national Sachin Kumar, booked in 2024 under the POCSO Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in a case involving alleged sexual assault of a minor.

The oldest was 63-year-old Dal Bahadur, also from Nepal, who was arrested in 2021 under the Excise Act, making him one of the few foreign nationals booked in a non-narcotics case during the period.

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Year-wise, 2022 recorded the highest number of arrests with eight cases, followed by four each in 2021, 2023 and 2025, and three each in 2024 and 2026.

Panchkula Commissioner of Police Pankaj Nain said the figures reflected sustained action against drug trafficking and other offences involving foreign nationals.

“Our action is intelligence-driven and strictly based on evidence, irrespective of the nationality of the accused. The majority of cases involving foreign nationals during the past five years relate to NDPS offences, particularly heroin trafficking, which remains a key focus area for the police. We are working in close coordination with central agencies and other state police forces to identify and dismantle drug supply networks,” he said.

Nain added that the presence of foreign nationals in criminal cases should not be viewed as representative of any particular community or country.

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“Law enforcement action is taken solely on the basis of violations of law. We continue to strengthen surveillance, verification and inter-agency coordination to ensure public safety while dealing firmly with organised crime and narcotics-related offences,” he said.

Changing crime profile

The data indicates a shift in the nature of offences involving foreign nationals. While earlier years saw arrests in cases related to excise violations, theft, gambling and road accidents, recent years have been dominated by narcotics cases, suggesting anti-drug operations have become the principal focus of police action involving foreigners in the district.

It also shows distinct patterns by nationality. Nigerian nationals were almost exclusively arrested in heroin-related NDPS cases, whereas Nepalese nationals figured in a wider range of offences, including drug trafficking, cheating, POCSO, theft and excise violations.

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Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory.

Professional Background

Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance.

Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows.

Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects.

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)

Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends:

1. Investigative & Financial Reporting

"Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff.

"Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control.

"Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT.

2. Governance & Constitutional Status

"What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance.

"MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure.

"No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term.

3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment

"Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts.

"UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network.

"Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump.

4. Lifestyle & Local Trends

"Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year.

"After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges.

Signature Beat

Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse.

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