Hyderabad City Police’s Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) has apprehended and deported a Ugandan national for overstaying in India and allegedly associating with drug peddlers, officials said on Sunday.

The foreigner, identified as Juliana Victor Nabitaka (27), a native of Kampala, Republic of Uganda, had arrived in India on a tourist visa on February 12, 2024, through Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai. She holds a passport valid till October 31, 2033, but her visa expired on January 18, 2025.

Police said that during her stay in India, Juliana travelled extensively and lived in Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru for several months. During this period, she allegedly came into contact with foreign drug peddlers and began associating with them. She is suspected to have been involved in drug trafficking activities in Bengaluru and Hyderabad to earn quick money.

Acting on credible information, the H-NEW team apprehended her within the limits of Tolichowki Police Station. During questioning, she failed to produce valid documents to justify her stay and later admitted to overstaying after her visa expired.

H-NEW, with the assistance of the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Hyderabad, initiated deportation proceedings. An exit permit was obtained, and she was blacklisted from re-entering India. She was deported to Uganda from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in the early hours of December 21, 2025, under police escort.

H-NEW has appealed to the public to stay away from substance abuse and urged parents to monitor their children’s activities. Information related to drug abuse can be shared with H-NEW at 8712661601, officials said.