A Nigerian national has been arrested alongside three others in Hyderabad, India, in connection with an alleged international drug trafficking operation. Authorities seized narcotics worth 30 lakh (approximately N28 million) during the raid, which took place on Saturday, June 22.

According to the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) and Narsingi Police, the operation was based on credible intelligence pointing to a drug supply network between Goa and Hyderabad. Officers raided an apartment in the upscale Anuhar Coral Bells residential complex in Manikonda, where a drug transaction was reportedly in progress.

Items recovered included 107 grams of cocaine, 25 grams of ecstasy pills, and six mobile phones believed to have been used to coordinate drug deals.

The Nigerian suspect was identified as 22-year-old Chukwumeka Wisdom Onyeka, who also goes by aliases including Victor Chukwu and Divine Chukwu Emeka. Originally from Imo State, Nigeria, he was residing in Goa while reportedly studying Information Technology at Gokul Global University in Gujarat.

Authorities disclosed that Onyeka had previously been arrested in 2023 in a similar drug-related case and had allegedly used multiple fake passports and student visas to facilitate his operations.

Also arrested were Gopishetty Rajesh, 40, a wedding planner with a prior drug-related arrest by the Raidurgam Police, and Bommadevara Veera Raju, 32, a real estate and car dealer from Rajahmundry, who has also been linked to previous narcotics cases.

Investigators believe the suspects were working under the direction of a Nigerian kingpin operating under aliases including Max, Princewel, Buchi, and Gabriel. The cartel is said to rely on African nationals in India, often posing as students, to distribute illicit substances.

Officials noted that both Rajesh and Raju were initially consumers who gradually built connections within Hyderabad?s high-end social circles and transitioned into active distribution roles. Their frequent trips to Goa allegedly helped solidify their links with suppliers.

Police identified several other individuals connected to the case, including suppliers based in Nigeria and Goa, as well as customers in Hyderabad.

In a public advisory, the TGANB urged parents to monitor their children?s social habits and warned of increasing youth involvement in drug abuse and related crimes. ?No one involved in drug trafficking?be it supplier, consumer or even a celebrity?will be spared. We will track and apprehend offenders anywhere, anytime,? the bureau said in a statement. (The Guardian)

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