CHENNAI: The city police on Monday arrested a South African national for allegedly supplying methamphetamine to peddlers in the city.
The police identified the arrested person as John Okkapar alias Kempala (35), of South Africa.
A Chennai police team camped for over 10 days in New Delhi in pursuit of John, who allegedly was the main supplier of methamphetamine to peddlers in the city.
He was brought to the city on a transit warrant produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody on Monday.
John came onto the radar of the city police after the Anti-narcotics Intelligence Unit (ANIU) secured S Arun Kumar from Pudur, Ambattur in October last year for possession of methamphetamine.
Subsequently, Arumbakkam police arrested as many as 15 persons for selling methamphetamine. The investigations with the arrested persons led police to John, whom police identified as the main supplier.
Apart from Chennai, John was also supplying contacts in other cities. The city police learned about John's whereabouts and a police team nabbed him in New Delhi last Friday (January 3). The police are also investigating if he is part of a larger network.