INDORE, India — Indian police in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, have arrested a Nigerian woman, Emmanuel Joy, after allegedly finding her with 57.18 grammes of cocaine valued at over 29 lakh rupees (N40.9 million; $26,200 USD) on Monday, August 31, 2026.
According to a report by News18 Hindi, officers from the Chandan Nagar police station intercepted Joy, a resident of Lagos, near IT Park, Sinhasa, as she traveled from Mumbai to Indore to supply the illegal drugs.
Okay News reports that Chandan Nagar police officers detained Joy during heightened security patrols conducted ahead of the Rakshmashtami and Janmashtami celebrations.
Police officers stopped and questioned Joy after noticing her carrying a black bag in the IT Park Sinhasa area. Female police officers subsequently searched her after her initial responses proved unsatisfactory, uncovering 57.18 grammes of cocaine concealed inside a transparent bag.
“A foreign woman carrying a black bag appeared suspicious,” the police said.
Joy arrived in India from Nigeria on August 14, 2026, on a seven-month business visa and resided in Bandra East, Mumbai, where she worked at a hair salon with her sister.
During interrogation, Joy stated that she purchased the cocaine at a low price to sell it at a higher price in Indore.
Law enforcement authorities registered a case against her under Sections 8 and 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and remanded her in custody following a court appearance.
