DW BUREAU / shimla An undertrial Nigerian national who was lodged in Kullu sub-jail in a drug case died after an acute artery stroke, police said on Tuesday. Izuchukwu (38), died in Mandi district on Monday while he was being taken to a hospital in Shimla for treatment, Superintendent of Police (Kullu) Gurdev Sharma said. "The Nigerian national was lodged in the sub-jail after he had been remanded by a Kullu court to 14-day judicial custody till July 29," he said. A case was registered against him under section 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Bhuntar police station on July 14, he said. "Izuchukwu fell unconscious on Monday morning and was admitted to Kullu regional hospital," he said. Sharma said that his Computed Tomography (CT) scan of the brain was done and his report mentioned an acute infarct involving the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) and anterior cerebral artery (ACA). Subsequently, the medical officer at the regional hospital referred him to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) hospital in Shimla, he added. On the way, his condition deteriorated and the government medical college and hospital in Mandi district declared him brought dead, he said. His body has been kept in the mortuary in Kullu and all the necessary protocols are being followed, the SP said. He said the Nigerian Embassy had been informed in this regard. Inquest proceedings under section 174 of CrPC will be conducted by the magistrate, he added. Meanwhile, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, considered insulated from vices common to the Indian mainland till now, are recording an increase in the number of substance abusers. Authorities are worried with even a section of school-children getting easy access to drugs such as marijuana. De-addiction centres have also reported the use of Cocaine and Heroin by a section of youths. Authorities are now a worried lot. "The crime rate in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is among the lowest in the country as entry and exit to the Archipelago are strictly monitored. One can only leave the islands using flights or ships and all passengers undergo security checks. Hence, there is no escape route for criminals. However, narcotics are now turning into a problem. There are no poppy or marijuana plantations in the islands. So, they must be arriving from the mainland or being smuggled from other countries along sea routes," a senior official of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration said. Due to their strategic location, the island chain is kept under constant watch by India's security forces. A couple of years ago, the Coast Guard intercepted a Myanmarese boat with drugs close to the islands. According to another official, who preferred to remain unnamed: "A section of international as well as domestic tourists expect that drugs will be available in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as they managed to procure them in other locations in the country like Goa and Kerala. Hence, there is a demand. Now, some of the locals are also getting access to the stuff." Some international tourists prefer Indian seaside destinations to those in countries like Thailand where drug laws are extremely stringent. Possession of certain drugs over a certain quantity can even fetch the death penalty. Indian laws are far more lax and drugs are readily available at nearly all tourist destinations such as Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with its beautiful beaches -- considered among the best in the world -- was considered an exception but things have changed. Sources now claim that drug cartels have started operating in the Andamans. Some of the operations are even handled by foreign nationals with long term visas. (editor@dailyworld.in)