Nigerian National, Two Others Arrested as Indian Police Bust Drug Racket

In a major crackdown on international narcotics operations, Telangana’s Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) and Narsingi Police arrested three individuals—one Nigerian and two Indian nationals—linked to a transnational drug syndicate operating out of a luxury apartment complex in Hyderabad, India. Acting on credible intelligence about a Goa-Hyderabad drug pipeline, police raided a flat in Anuhar Coral Bells, Alkapur Township, Manikonda, seizing 107 grams of cocaine, 25 grams of ecstasy pills, and six mobile phones used for drug trafficking. The total value of the seized drugs is estimated at Rs 30 lakh.

The arrested Nigerian national was identified as Chukwumeka Wisdom Onyeka, alias Victor Chukwu, alias Divine Chukwu Emeka, 22, from Imo State. He was residing in Goa while pursuing a BSc (IT) degree at Gokul Global University in Gujarat. Onyeka was previously arrested in a similar case in 2023 and was found to be using multiple fake passports and student visas to facilitate his operations.

The two Indian nationals arrested were Gopishetty Rajesh, 40, a wedding planner living in the same residential complex, and Bommadevara Veera Raju, 32, a real estate and car dealer from Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. Both men have prior records of involvement in drug-related offenses and allegedly transitioned from being drug users to active peddlers, establishing links within Hyderabad’s elite social circles and building supply chains through regular visits to Goa.

Investigations point to a Nigerian drug kingpin—known by multiple aliases including Max, Princewel, Buchi and Gabriel—as the mastermind controlling the supply chain from abroad. He is believed to deploy African nationals in India, often posing as students, to distribute narcotics locally.

The probe also revealed that on May 29, Rajesh delivered 5 grams of cocaine to a client named Phani Raj at a rave party in Aziz Nagar. On May 31, he traveled to Mangalagiri to deliver an additional 15 grams to the same customer. Authorities have identified other key suppliers including Hanumant Babuso Divkar alias Baba, based in Goa. Known clients in the network include individuals named Phani Raj, Pavithra Reddy, Satish, Sada Shiva, Sudhir, and Bhanu.

In a public statement, TGANB urged parents and guardians to monitor their children’s behavior and social connections closely, citing growing concern over youth involvement in drug abuse and its ripple effects on society. Reaffirming its zero-tolerance stance, the bureau warned, “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.”