This is the third time in three years that he's being held on drug peddling charges

The proverb 'bad habits die hard' is apt for 31-year-old Nigerian national Martin en Duke who was arrested by the cops for a third time on drug peddling charges. The accused was already arrested twice by the city police on similar charges, but he managed to procure bail and continued his activities.


Grave offence: Duke revealed that he gets cocaine from Delhi and
Chennai and then supplies it to his customers all around the city

This time Duke was nabbed by the anti-narcotic wing of the City Crime Branch (CCB) while he was waiting for a client near a coffee shop in Banasawadi. The cops recovered 135 gram of cocaine, Rs 2,300 cash and two mobiles from his possession. According to police, the estimated value of recovered cocaine in the international market is around Rs 7.5 lakh.

During interrogation, Duke revealed that he gets cocaine from Delhi and Chennai and then supplies it to his customers in the city. "He is part of international drug syndicate with agents in several big cities across the country. We are trying to trace his contacts in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai," said Assistant Commissioner of Police R Lakshman.

He added that despite the high risk involved in peddling narcotics, it's the big money that lures him to do it repeatedly. Duke is living in the country illegally and doesn't have a valid visa.

Duke and drugs
He came to the city in 2008 on a business visa and developed contacts with local peddlers and customers. In 2009, he was caught by the Ashok Nagar police on charges of drug peddling and was remanded to judicial custody. However, he managed to procure bail within two months. He, along with his associates Albert Mahana, Jeromia Opusa and Thai girlfriend Chitare Kachitec, was arrested again in 2010 by the Hennur police, and were sent to Central prison. However, they obtained bail in January this year.