EAGLE Force, NCB bust nationwide Nigerian drug cartel; over 50 arrested in multi-state raids

Hyderabad: A powerful nationwide Nigerian drug cartel has been busted and more than 50 key operatives have been arrested. This arrest includes overstaying Nigerian nationals and several key Indian facilitators across Delhi, Noida, Gwalior and Visakhapatnam.

The joint operation led to the seizure of 5,340 ecstasy pills, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine worth Rs 3.5 crore, freezing of 107 bank accounts, identification of 59 mule accounts and mapping of 16 cartel hubs operating from Delhi’s ghettos.

This is one of the largest coordinated anti-narcotics crackdowns in recent years, with the Telangana EAGLE Force working along with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the Delhi Police Crime Branch and Noida Police.

Trail emerged from Cyberabad drug cases

The cartel’s nationwide network was uncovered during investigations into two major Cyberabad narcotics cases — the Malnadu Restaurant case (Cr. No. 02/2025) and the Mahindra University case (Cr. No. 08/2025).

Investigators traced global links to a Nigerian handler operating from abroad. After the seizure of a drug parcel, the syndicate frequently changed communication channels to evade surveillance.

Further probe revealed that the cartel was supplying drugs to over 2,000 consumers and peddlers across India, using hundreds of mule bank accounts to collect money.

Cocaine hidden inside shirts: Courier services turned into drug pipelines

Drugs were dispatched through major courier platforms including DTDC, Shree Maruti Couriers, TrackOn, India Post, Delhivery, Blue Dart, Shiprocket and Professional Couriers, with narcotics concealed inside shoes, garments and cosmetics.

Police examined thousands of courier consignments, POD sheets and CCTV footage across multiple hubs in Delhi. In one case, a TrackOn parcel sent to Calicut contained 160 grams of MDMA hidden inside shirts. Another parcel addressed to a Gujarat-based receiver was found to contain cocaine concealed in garments.

Around 30 courier offices frequently used by the cartel were identified.

Hyderabad drug network exposed

The probe led to the identification of 11 drug consumers from Hyderabad who had directly sourced narcotics from the Nigerian syndicate.

They were traced through banking transactions, courier trail analysis and communication records. Some of them are already accused in earlier Cyberabad narcotics cases.

High-risk surveillance and dawn raids

After 15 days of intensive surveillance, 124 EAGLE Force officers travelled to Delhi and joined forces with the Delhi Police Crime Branch.

By 4:30 am on November 27, coordinated raids were launched at 20 locations in Delhi, with each raiding party comprising officers from both agencies. Teams operated till late evening, supported by NCB technical and surveillance units.

Vizag trail leads to key female accused

On November 19, intelligence inputs revealed that three foreign women linked to the cartel had flown to Visakhapatnam, where they supplied drugs to university students.

Police tracked their movements, raided their service apartment and arrested all three.

Kingpin Badruddin, key laundering operatives nabbed

Among those arrested was Badruddin, identified as one of the cartel’s chief operators in India.

He was living lavishly in Greater Noida, posing as a garment businessman. Investigation revealed that Rs 15 crore in drug proceeds had been routed through six of his bank accounts and withdrawn almost immediately, indicating organised money laundering.

Other key arrests included:

- Titing Guite, arrested in Munirka, Delhi

- Yuvraj Solanki, arrested in Gwalior

- Sama Umar, associate of Badruddin

Drugs recovered despite attempts to destroy evidence

At several raid locations, the accused initially refused to open doors.

In one instance, a woman identified as Pamela attempted to mislead officers by claiming to be in the bathroom. CCTV footage later revealed she had hidden drugs inside a refrigerator.

Police recovered 150 grams of cocaine and 84 grams of methamphetamine from her residence.

50+ deportation cases, NDPS charges to follow

Authorities have initiated over 50 deportation cases against overstaying foreigners, besides booking three commercial quantity and one intermediate quantity cases under the NDPS Act.

The seized drugs and arrested foreigners were handed over to the Delhi Crime Branch for further legal action.

Serious gaps in Visa, banking and courier controls

Police sounded a serious warning over the abuse of student and medical visas, stating that many arrested foreigners were not attending colleges and were instead operating drug and sex rackets.

Authorities also flagged weak monitoring of courier operations and banking systems, which enabled large-scale laundering of drug money across state and national borders.

Indian facilitators under scanner

Investigators confirmed the role of Indian nationals in opening mule accounts, providing rented accommodation and facilitating logistics for the cartel. These facilitators are now under scrutiny.

The EAGLE Force credited seamless cooperation from the Delhi Police, NCB, Noida Police, Gwalior Police and Visakhapatnam Police for the success of the operation.

Special appreciation was extended to several senior IPS officers for strategic and operational support.

Public urged to share drug intelligence

Citizens have been urged to report drug-related information through: Toll-Free: 1908, WhatsApp: 87126 71111, and Email: tsnabho-hyd@tspolice.gov.in.

Police assured that all inputs will remain confidential and reward mechanisms are in place for credible information.