Three Nigerian Nationals And Others Arrested As Police Bust Drug Mafia In India

A drug syndicate has been busted by the Telangana State Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TSNAB) and Narcotics Enforcement Wing of the Hyderabad City Police in India.

As many as seven persons involved in the syndicate were arrested, including three Nigerian nationals. 

The Nigerians, who have allegedly been smuggling drugs for 12 years, and a Hyderabad resident were arrested in a decoy operation in Bangalore. Cocaine and MDMA worth 1 crore were seized from them. 

The Nigerians included Agbowo Maxwell Nnabuisi, Okeke Chigozie Blessing, Ikem Austin Obaka and P. Sai Akash,25, a resident of Srinagar Colony. 

The operation followed arrest of two persons, Thrissur resident, M Sanjay Sunil Kumar and Manikonda resident, T Bhanu Teja Reddy,23 - who disclosed they bought drugs from Nigerian nationals in Bangalore, said CV Anand, director of Telangana State Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TS-NAB) on Saturday, July 8, 2023. 

“The kingpin, Maxwell, came to Mumbai in 2011 on a medical visa. After a few months, he moved to Bangalore and changed his identity,” said CV Anand.

"In 2012, Blessing came to Mumbai on a business visa and moved to Tripur in Tamil Nadu. A decade later, Blessing touched down in Bangalore and began staying with Maxwell. Austin too came to India on student visa and took shelter in Bangalore in 2021," 

"After reaching Bangalore, Maxwell created a fake passport in the name of Kweku Essuman Kwame. Using the fake passport as a document, he rented a house in MS Nagar in Bangalore and took an internet connection and used it as a hub for peddling drugs along with his friend Mazee," police said. The African used virtual phone numbers to avoid detection.

"Maxwell and Mazee opened a bank account in Coimbatore, in 2020. They would ask their customers to credit money in bank account to supply the drugs," Anand said, adding 4 crore was deposited in the account in six months. 

Police officials are analysing transactions to trace other people involved in the offence.

The police official said the accused followed a 'dead drop' method - a pre-arranged hiding place for deposit and pickup of items obtained through espionage. 

"Maxwell would share the location and photograph of the area to customers," police said. Later, the duo met two other persons and offered to assist in peddling. All the four persons were arrested. "